Trump signs order on critical mineral production

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order intended to boost production of critical minerals in the United States and confirmed a deal to gain access to minerals in Ukraine was still on track.

Trump signed the order behind closed doors at the White House. A spokesperson said the order would streamline permitting to allow for increased mining of the minerals.

The order invokes wartime powers under the Defense Production Act to expand domestic U.S. mining production, according to information shared by a White House official. 

In addition, the efforts to increase mineral production may end up including coal, if Interior Secretary Doug Burgum decides that the fossil fuel should fall under the definition of “minerals.”

“It’s a big thing in this country. And as you know we’re also signing agreements in various locations to unlock rare earths and minerals and lots of other things all over the world. But in particular Ukraine,” Trump said at an event where he signed a measure aimed at dismantling the Department of Education.

“One of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with Ukraine with respect to rare earth,” Trump added.

The minerals executive order, meanwhile, takes additional steps to bolster mining, according to the White House.

This includes allowing approvals for more mining projects to be fast-tracked, directing the Interior Department to prioritize mining over other uses of federal lands and developing financing methods, including the creation of a new fund through the United States International Development Finance Corporation. 

Rare earth elements refers to a specific group of materials that are only deposited in relatively small quantities and can be used in a variety of applications including electronics, health care and batteries.

Ukraine has a significant amount of those elements, and they have been central to negotiations between the U.S. and Kyiv as Trump pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine.

Trump administration officials brokered a deal with Ukraine to give the U.S. access to those minerals. The president and his advisers have argued giving the U.S. an economic stake in those critical minerals would provide an increased security incentive for protecting Kyiv against Russian aggression.

The deal was derailed after a contentious Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month, but it appears the two sides are once again prepared to sign off on the agreement.

Meanwhile, the federal government currently considers about 50 minerals to be “critical.” These elements can have uses ranging from renewable energy to weapons.

Trump has repeatedly sought to bolster U.S. ownership of these elements.

He has also pledged to help the coal industry, which has been on the decline as gas and renewables grow as power sources.

— Updated at 5:54 p.m. EDT