Latest direct intervention into bolstering critical mineral supply chains.
The U.S. is stepping up efforts to secure critical mineral supplies. According to Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), in partnership with Orion Resource Partners, is discussing setting up a $5 billion fund to finance projects in the sector.
If realized, the fund would mark the latest direct intervention in critical mineral supply chains under the Trump administration. In March, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at boosting domestic production through streamlined permitting and expedited review processes. Then, in July, the Pentagon announced a $400 million investment in MP Materials, the largest domestic rare earth producer, to become the company’s largest shareholder.
The push reflects Washington’s mounting concern over its heavy reliance on China for minerals deemed critical to national security and the energy transition. That dependence deepened in December, when Beijing banned exports of certain critical mineral products to the U.S., and again in April, when it expanded its export licensing requirements to cover additional materials.
The planned $5 billion initiative would complement other recent measures, such as the Department of Energy’s $1 billion commitment in August to strengthen U.S. critical mineral supply chains (we reported).
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