Trump Critical Minerals Stockpile.Html
The New York Times5 hrs
Trump Launches $12B Project Vault for Minerals Reserve
Is Project Vault closing the barn door after the horse has bolted or an effective survival strategy against China's mineral stranglehold?
Above: Concentrated bauxite and iron ore in Yantai Port, Shandong, on Oct. 29, 2025. Image credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump's $12 billion Project Vault is a mere band-aid for a self-inflicted wound. After getting embarrassed by China's rare earth export controls last year and being forced to lower tariffs in what was widely seen as a Chinese victory, this scheme looks like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. The real problem isn't storage — it's that America spent decades hollowing out its industrial base while China built the entire supply chain.
Pro-Trump narrative
Project Vault represents Trump's decisive answer to China's mineral stranglehold — a $12 billion initiative fusing government resolve with private capital to break our dangerous dependence. By stockpiling critical minerals essential to everything from defense systems to electric vehicles, America is finally confronting the vulnerability of relying on an adversary that weaponizes resources. This isn't mere policy — it's strategic necessity.
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0