US President Donald Trump has authorised the use of emergency powers to restrict exports of critical minerals, marking the latest step in his administration’s push to strengthen domestic supply chains.
In a Presidential Determination signed late on Thursday, Trump delegated authority under the Defense Production Act to the Secretary of Commerce to impose export restrictions on so-called recoverable critical minerals and materials (CMMs).
The Determination finds that CMMs are essential industrial resources for national defence, supporting military production, industrial applications, and critical infrastructure. However, it also warns that the US has relied heavily on importing certain minerals, leaving the country exposed to prolonged supply chain disruptions.
According to the White House, the US holds significant quantities of CMMs embedded in finished products such as permanent magnets and lithium-ion batteries, many of which can be recovered and recycled once they reach the end of their service life.
As such, reclaiming these materials will help secure supplies for advanced defence systems, improve the resilience of critical infrastructure, and reduce reliance on overseas sources, its statement says.
Reshoring mineral supply chains
The latest move builds on a series of executive actions aimed at reshoring critical mineral supply chains. In March 2025, Trump signed an executive order to boost domestic mineral production and streamline mine permitting. That was followed by another order to modernise defence procurement and strengthen the defence industrial base.
Earlier this year, Trump also directed officials to negotiate agreements with trading partners to address national security risks associated with imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products. More recently, in July, he signed an executive order focused on securing domestic supplies of the materials and components needed for next-generation military equipment.
The announcement comes as governments worldwide seek to secure reliable supplies of critical minerals used in clean energy technologies, electronics, and defence applications.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently identified gallium, magnet rare earths, yttrium, graphite, tungsten, tellurium, cobalt, and germanium as among the minerals facing the highest supply risks because mining and refining remain heavily concentrated in a small number of countries.
China‘s export controls on several of these strategic materials, which have contributed to sharp price increases in recent years, have further highlighted the vulnerabilities associated with concentrated global supply chains.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Image: The White House | Flickr
