President Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing a sweeping federal effort to expand domestic production of critical minerals, citing national security and economic independence as primary justifications. The measure invokes the Defense Production Act and targets key resources such as uranium, copper, potash, gold, and aluminum, with provisions that may extend to coal.
Framing the action as essential to ending U.S. reliance on “hostile foreign powers,” the executive order establishes an aggressive timeline to identify and expedite permitting for mineral production projects. Within 10 days, federal agencies must report pending project applications and begin identifying priority sites for fast-track approval.
The directive also reorients land-use priorities on federal lands known to contain mineral deposits. Agencies including the Departments of Interior, Defense, Agriculture, and Energy must designate suitable federal lands for commercial mining and production enterprises, facilitating leasing and development under expedited timelines.
The National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), created by the President last month, is tasked with coordinating industry input on regulatory obstacles and overseeing the designation of strategic projects on the Permitting Dashboard established under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. Reuters reports that former newmont executive David Copley has been tasked with the mining portfolio of the Council. The U.S. has not had a senior official overseeing federal mining policy since the Bureau of Mines was closed in 1996 amid Clinton Administration budget cuts.
To finance these initiatives, the executive order delegates Defense Production Act authorities to the Secretaries of Defense and Energy, and the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). These agencies are authorized to provide loans, loan guarantees, and other forms of financial assistance for qualifying mineral projects, including the establishment of a dedicated investment fund for mineral production.
In tandem, the Export-Import Bank and the Small Business Administration are directed to issue new guidance and legislative proposals to support small business participation in the sector and ensure long-term U.S. offtake agreements for both domestic and global mineral feedstock.
President Trump’s executive order echoes efforts previously undertaken by the Biden administration, which also used the Defense Production Act to support critical mineral supply chains.
This order follows Executive Order 14156, which declared a national energy emergency on January 20, 2025, and provides further legal basis for accelerated domestic industrial action.
The order takes immediate effect and mandates a series of deadlines, with most major agency actions required within 30 to 45 days.
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