U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) on March 20 to recognize the national security need for critical minerals, especially those sourced domestically, by allowing greater access to key minerals and mined materials.
The EO, which follows three others signed on the first day of his presidency – “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” “Unleashing American Energy,” and “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” – has asked the Secretaries of Defense, Energy, and Interior with actions and initiatives requiring responses within 10, 15, 30 and 45 days, and waives related legal requirements under the “national emergency” provision of the Defense Production Act (DPA).
The reaction thus far to the move has been strong from across the industry. National Mining Association president Rich Nolan, for example, called the ramping up of American mining a “national security imperative” that the signing has nodded to.
“By encouraging streamlined and transparent permitting processes, combined with financing support to counter foreign market manipulation, we can finally challenge China’s mineral extortion. We applaud this strong action that confronts our mineral crisis head on and we look forward to working with the administration to ensure made in America increasingly means mined in America,” he said.
Another was Perpetua Resources, an Idaho-based miner, that pointed out that the EO empowers the DPA to elevate production capabilities and financial guidance through the U.S. Export-Import Bank. The company received a Letter of Interest from the bank last year for $1.8 billion.
The gold miner said it is evaluating the new programs that have been announced to determine the Stibnite Gold Project’s potential eligibility.
“In the meantime, the Company continues to advance its studies with Sunshine Silver to evaluate development of a full-scale antimony processing facility in Idaho at a site that historically produced antimony, with the potential to develop a fully integrated, domestic supply chain solution for antimony production in the United States,” it said.
From the copper sector, Ivanhoe Electric released its statement as well.
“This decisive action by our President highlights the urgent need to expand domestic minerals output to support supply chain security in the United States. This important order will help revitalize domestic mineral production by improving the permitting process and providing financial support to qualifying domestic projects. As a United States company with an advanced high-quality, high-grade copper project on private land in Arizona, we are excited about what the Executive Order means for the future of domestic copper production,” officials said.
The full order can be read here.