Critical Minerals 232 Investigation

President Trump has signed an Executive Order directing the Secretary of Commerce to initiate a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 into the national security implications of U.S. reliance on imported processed critical minerals and their derivative products.

The  April 15 order emphasizes that critical minerals, including rare earth elements, “are foundational to military infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and advanced defense systems.” noting risks of reliance on limited international suppliers who allegedly engage in “price manipulation, overcapacity, arbitrary export restrictions,” and use supply dominance to gain geopolitical leverage.

The order mandates a comprehensive review of foreign market distortions, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the potential use of trade remedies to secure a stable domestic supply. The Commerce Secretary’s final report will assess the threat posed by such imports and, if warranted, recommend actions to strengthen U.S. production and reduce dependence on foreign sources.

If the investigation concludes that these imports threaten to impair national security, and the President imposes tariffs, such duties would supersede current reciprocal tariff rates pursuant to the April 2 Executive Order on trade deficits.

The administration cited growing threats from adversarial suppliers, particularly China. Recent Chinese export restrictions on gallium, germanium, antimony, and rare earth materials, including heavy rare earth metals and magnets, have intensified concerns over U.S. vulnerability in key industrial sectors.

Critical minerals are essential to U.S. defense and infrastructure, with applications in jet engines, missile guidance, radar systems, semiconductors, and secure communications. The Trump administration asserts that foreign producers have used pricing manipulation and export restrictions as tools of geopolitical leverage.

"Transparency Projects" Announced

On Friday the The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council announced its first designation of “transparency projects” under the Federal Permitting Dashboard for critical mineral production, in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production. The selected projects—ranging from lithium and copper to coal and potash—will benefit from streamlined federal permitting reviews through enhanced interagency coordination and public tracking of environmental authorizations. This marks the first use of the Council’s transparency authority, with additional projects to be added in the coming weeks. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on foreign minerals, support job creation, and accelerate infrastructure development.

[fact sheet].

[Executive Order] 

Processed Critical Minerals and Derivative Products; Efforts To Ensure National Security and Economic Resilience Through Section 232 Actions (EO 14272)