Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday to reduce American dependence on China for critical minerals. The order also expands the domestic mining industry, supports American mining jobs, and reduces unnecessary permit delays.
These minerals—which include aluminum, lithium, titanium, and many others—are essential inputs for airplanes, computers, cell phones, electricity systems, and advanced electronic products. They are crucial both for our economy and our national security.
For several decades, our country’s mining industry has suffered because of political inaction, a broken permitting process, and predatory foreign competition from China. As a result, the United States is heavily reliant on foreign imports for critical minerals despite the presence of significant sources for many of them across our country.
“We will put our miners back to work,” President Trump said.
Yesterday’s action builds on President Trump’s commitment to restore and strengthen our economy as we safely reopen from the global Coronavirus pandemic.
The Trump Administration has already worked to reform outdated bureaucracy, which too often held up vital American infrastructure projects. This year, amid the Coronavirus outbreak from China, President Trump leveraged the Defense Production Act dozens of times to support production of critical medical equipment here in America.
President Trump also placed a pause on new immigrant visas through the end of this year, ensuring that we continue to put American workers first during this recovery.
President Donald Trump is protecting our mining industry!
More: Read President Trump’s executive order.
