Trump Invokes Defense Production Act for Critical Minerals

President Donald Trump is invoking emergency powers under the Defense Production Act to accelerate the domestic production and processing of critical minerals. The initiative aims to reduce U.S. reliance on China and other hostile foreign powers for materials essential to the energy and defense industries, including components for smartphones, electric cars, and F-35 fighter jets.

By waiving specific legal requirements, the administration will bypass congressional approval for projects exceeding $50 million and ignore standard one-year project delivery timeframes. This strategy focuses on both raw mineral extraction and the refining and magnet production processes where China currently maintains a dominant global position. The move follows a trade war that led China to halt critical mineral exports.

This action follows a precedent set by former President Joe Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic and a previous invocation by Trump in March to support materials for robotics and computer chips. The White House argues that federal regulation has previously eroded domestic production despite the country's vast resources. The official document is expected to be published on the Federal Register on Wednesday.