INCREASING AMERICAN MINERAL PRODUCTION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to boost American mineral production, streamline permitting, and enhance national security.
- Agencies shall compile a list of all mineral production projects that have submitted a plan of operations, permit application, or any other approval request to that agency in order to expedite the review and advancement of those projects in coordination with the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC).
- Additional mineral production projects will be considered for FAST-41 status to streamline permitting.
- New recommendations will be provided to Congress regarding treatment of waste rock, tailings, and mine waste disposal under the Mining Act of 1872.
- The Secretary of the Interior will prioritize mineral production activities over other types of activities on Federal lands that hold critical mineral deposits.
- The Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Agriculture, and Secretary of the Interior shall identify additional sites that might be suitable for mineral production activities that can be permitted as soon as possible.
- The Defense Production Act (DPA) will be used to expand domestic mineral production capacity.
- Financing, loans, and investment support will be provided for new mineral production projects, including a dedicated critical minerals fund established through the United States International Development Finance Corporation in collaboration with the Department of Defense.
- The Trump Administration will coordinate with private industry to ensure a stable and resilient domestic supply chain for critical materials, including critical minerals.
- “Minerals” covered by the order include critical minerals, uranium, copper, potash, gold, and any other element, compound, or material as determined by the Chair of the NEDC, such as coal.
SECURING AMERICA’S MINERAL FUTURE: President Trump is boosting domestic mineral production to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign minerals, enhance national security, and create jobs.
- Demand for critical minerals has been dubbed the “gold rush of the 21st century” due to their importance in emerging technologies.
- The United States currently imports a significant portion of its minerals from foreign countries, creating economic and security risks, despite possessing a vast supply of critical minerals.
- The United States is 100% import-reliant on at least 15 critical minerals, and imports of nonfuel mineral commodities make up more than half of U.S. consumption.
- U.S. capacity utilization for the metal mining industry has declined for years.
- China, Iran, and Russia control large deposits of several minerals critical to the U.S., posing a national security risk.
- 70% of U.S. imports of rare earths come from China.
- A strong domestic mineral production industry would ensure U.S. companies can compete globally without overly relying on foreign supply chains.
- Critical minerals are essential for U.S. military readiness, as they are key components in fighter jets, satellites, submarines, smart bombs, and missile guidance systems.
PRIORITIZING U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY: President Trump is committed to ending American dependence on hostile foreign powers for critical minerals.
- Immediately upon returning to office, President Trump signed an Executive Order to make the U.S. “the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals.”
- President Trump also signed an Executive Order advancing the Ambler Access Project, a 211-mile industrial road through Northwest Alaska that enables commercial mining for copper, zinc and other materials.
- This builds on actions President Trump took in his first term:
- In 2017, President Trump implemented a Federal strategy to ensure secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals.
- In 2019, President Trump signed five Presidential Determinations finding that domestic production of rare earth elements and materials is essential to the national defense.
- In 2020, President Trump declared a National Emergency to expand the domestic mining industry, support mining jobs, alleviate unnecessary permitting delays, and reduce our Nation’s dependence on China for critical minerals.