President Trump Signs Order To Boost U.S. Critical Minerals Production

On March 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order regarding critical minerals production in the United States. In a press release, the White House said the new policy would boost U.S. mineral production, streamline permitting, and enhance national security by:

• Prioritizing mineral production activities over other types of activities on federal lands that hold critical mineral deposits;
• Requiring the secretaries of Defense, Energy, Agriculture, and the Interior to identify additional sites that might be suitable for mineral production activities and that can be permitted as soon as possible;
• Using the Defense Production Act to expand domestic mineral production capacity;
• Offering financing, loans, and investment support for new mineral production projects, including the creation of a dedicated critical minerals fund established through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation in collaboration with the Department of Defense; and
• Coordinating with private industry to ensure a stable and resilient domestic supply chain for critical materials, including critical minerals.

The White House noted the United States is 100 percent import-reliant on at least 15 critical minerals, and imports of nonfuel mineral commodities make up more than half of U.S. consumption.

The administration also noted U.S. capacity utilization for the metal mining industry has declined for years. “A strong domestic mineral production industry would ensure U.S. companies can compete globally without overly relying on foreign supply chains,” the press release concluded.