What the first month of the Trump administration tells us about critical minerals

President Trump’s return to the White House resulted in a flurry of administrative action. Among the 32 different executive orders in his first week that addressed immigration, international agreements, and the federal bureaucracy, it is unsurprising that his critical mineral policy changes received relatively little attention. But those who pay close attention to the issue know that despite its lack of news coverage, the critical mineral issue is one of America’s most pressing national security challenges.For countless military and commercial applications, America is overly reliant on foreign producers for minerals. Our continued military and economic power require a change in policy. As stated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his confirmation hearing, “if we stay on the road we’re on right now, in less than 10 years, virtually everything that matters to us in life will depend on whether China will allow us to have it or not … [t]hey have come to dominate the critical mineral industry supplies throughout the world.” In an executive order titled Unleashing American Energy, the president instructed cabinet members to take a range of actions relating to critical minerals. As a news item, Trump’s critical mineral executive orders might not make the front page. But his actions, both at home and abroad, indicate how he will address the threat and may ultimately rank among his most consequential decisions over the next four years.Domestically, he has used executive actions to review policy and spur domestic action. In an executive order titled Unleashing American Energy, the president instructed cabinet members to take a range of actions relating to critical minerals. Some of the orders affect internal bureaucratic processes. The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, among other relevant agency heads, are directed to identify policies that overburden domestic mineral mining and processing. The two secretaries will also reassess public land usage for the same purpose. The Secretary of the Interior, who oversees the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), will direct the latter to reassess its annual critical mineral list and mapping of domestic mineral reserves. The Energy Secretary will ensure domestic mineral projects are considered for federal support.Other executive directives deal directly with national security. The U.S. Trade Representative is directed to assess whether foreign mining projects unlawfully undermine or burden American commerce. The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, will need to evaluate the National Defense Stockpile (NDS) and ensure that it will “provide a robust supply of critical minerals in event of a future shortfall.” Recent estimates found that the NDS would only meet 6 percent of essential needs in the event of a crisis.President Trump’s other executive action relating to critical minerals declared a national emergency. It’s worth noting that this more energy-focused order is different from his September 2020 emergency declaration, which more narrowly addressed foreign reliance for critical materials.This emergency declaration takes square aim at environmental regulations. It states that relevant agencies “shall identify and use all lawful emergency or other authorities available to them to facilitate the supply, refining and transportation” of critical minerals and other energy products.Similarly, agencies are directed to use the emergency Army Corps permitting provisions, where appropriate, to expedite permitting for mineral projects.Both executive orders will result in reports concerning critical mineral policy. The first order requires that among relevant agency heads, the Secretaries of State, Commerce, Labor, and USTR will submit a report with policy recommendations for enhancing domestic processing and mining within 60 days.The second order states that within 60 days, the Secretaries of the Interior, Energy, and Defense will assess the military and nation’s vulnerabilities, which include critical minerals, and submit a report with policy remedies.As much as his domestic mineral policies have gone unnoticed, President Trump’s critical mineral policy abroad is making headlines. Balancing America’s role in Europe with national interest, the United States and Ukraine recently struck a mineral rights deal worth $500 billion. While the exact terms of the deal have yet to emerge, the U.S. is expected to receive half of future proceeds from state-owned mineral projects, which could supply critical minerals such as titanium and gallium.President Trump may also seek cooperation with Russia to increase America’s mineral access. Recent reports indicate the possibility of a deal between America and Russia for rare earths. President Putin recently offered to supply America with aluminum, a critical mineral.While mineral deals with both Ukraine and Russia would need to weather geopolitical tensions and overcome geological doubts, these negotiations prove one thing: President Trump is willing to work with all comers to improve America’s mineral access.The first month of President Trump’s administration gives some sense of what his critical mineral policy will look like over the next four years.Domestically, he clearly wants to reduce barriers to domestic industry and bring reshore as much of our critical mineral supply chain as possible. As part of a larger effort to reindustrialize the United States, critical minerals can alleviate a national security concern and capitalize on America’s abundant natural resources.His actions abroad indicate two principles that will likely drive the administration’s future critical mineral policy. First, the instruction for Secretary of State Rubio to facilitate cooperation with the Quad demonstrates a recognition that America must work with its allies to secure its mineral supply chains. Second, his outreach to Russia and Ukraine shows that, unlike the Biden administration, he’s willing to work with any country to diminish the critical mineral threat.These actions will just be part of a larger critical mineral strategy – one that will take shape over the next four years. As the Trump administration tries to address America’s critical mineral vulnerabilities, he will need to work with Congress and the private sector at home. Abroad, it appears that he’ll work with all comers – not just allies.Time will prove the success of these policies, but for those looking to understand his approach to critical minerals, turn to his actions over the last month.Farrell Gregory is chief editor at the Oxford Emerging Threats Journal and a research assistant at the Yorktown Institute. He is currently a visiting student at Mansfield College, Oxford, studying politics, philosophy, and economics. You read more of his work @efarrellgregory on XWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com