President Trump has signed an executive order to address America’s glaring vulnerability in critical minerals supply chains, a move that comes as the United States remains 100 percent dependent on imports for 12 essential materials and heavily reliant on foreign sources for dozens more.
The January 14, 2026 action follows a Section 232 national security investigation that revealed the extent of Chinese dominance in processing critical minerals — with Beijing controlling over 80% of rare earth processing globally. These minerals are essential components in everything from smartphones to military hardware and renewable energy technologies.
Critical Vulnerability or Economic Opportunity?
“What it does is it sets up a mechanism, a process by which the United States will seek to secure its international supply chain of critical minerals and critical mineral derived products,” Trump explained at the signing ceremony. The order establishes new procedures for securing imports after a comprehensive national security review.
The situation represents a particularly vexing paradox for American industry. Despite being the world’s second-largest producer of mined, unprocessed rare earth oxides, the U.S. lacks domestic processing capacity — forcing companies to export raw materials for refining and then reimport the finished products.
This dependency isn’t just an abstract concern. As of 2024, the United States met 100% of its gallium demand and 80% of its rare earth requirements through imports, according to data from industry sources.
Transatlantic Alignment
The move isn’t happening in isolation. Both the U.S. and European Union are intensifying their efforts to secure critical mineral supply chains this year as China continues to tighten its grip on processing capabilities, analysts note.
Behind the scenes, the administration has been strategically investing in domestic critical mineral firms. This includes taking equity stakes and establishing price floors for companies producing permanent magnets — with one producer expected to deliver up to 10,000 metric tons annually, 70% of which is earmarked for Department of Defense applications.
“I know for a fact that our government is now identifying the top three or four minerals that are their priority to establish critical mineral sovereignty. Gallium is one, antimony and samarium are the others,” said an industry executive familiar with the administration’s planning.
Some relief may be on the horizon. US Critical Materials plans to begin production from its Montana rare earths deposit later this year, potentially reducing American dependence on foreign sources for certain critical materials.
But the scale of the challenge remains daunting. The White House acknowledges the U.S. is 50 percent or more import-dependent for 29 critical minerals as of 2024 — a vulnerability that extends across defense, technology, and energy sectors.
For an administration that has made economic sovereignty a centerpiece of its agenda, closing the critical minerals gap represents both a national security imperative and a test of whether America can rebuild industrial capacity that has atrophied over decades.
