Trump launches $12 billion mineral stockpile to counter China risk

Trump is setting up a $12 billion mineral stockpile called Project Vault to help American companies avoid getting wrecked by China’s grip on rare earths and other critical materials.

The plan brings together $1.67 billion in private funding and a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank. It’s the first time a U.S. president is building a civilian stockpile like this.

Until now, the only mineral reserves the U.S. has kept were for defense. This one’s different. This one’s for regular companies that build cars, phones, servers, engines, and batteries.

Ex-Im Bank preps record loan while firms line up to buy raw materials

The Export-Import Bank is expected to vote Monday to approve the $10 billion loan. It’s a 15-year deal, and it’s bigger than anything the bank has ever done.

More than a dozen companies are already involved. That includes GM, Stellantis, Boeing, Corning, GE Vernova, and Google. Trading firms Hartree, Traxys, and Mercuria are handling the buying.

Senior officials said the stockpile will cover rare earths, critical minerals, and other key metals that go into stuff like batteries, iPhones, and military equipment. The U.S. wants to be ready if China cuts exports again, like it did last year. When that happened, some U.S. manufacturers had to scale back production.

One official said, “This gives companies protection from wild price swings. They don’t need to panic if something gets cut off.”

News of the plan pushed up shares of U.S. mining stocks early Monday. USA Rare Earth, Critical Metals Corp., United States Antimony, and NioCorp all saw gains before the market opened.

Companies will pay to access and refill the stash

Here’s how it works: companies pay some upfront fees, tell Project Vault what materials they want, and get access to the stash when needed. But they also have to replenish whatever they use.

If there’s a big supply disruption, they’ll be able to grab everything they’re entitled to.

Trump is meeting with Mary Barra from GM and mining billionaire Robert Friedland on Monday. They represent both sides: people who use the materials and those who dig them up.

The stockpile isn’t just a U.S. thing either. Trump’s administration has already signed mineral supply agreements with Japan, Australia, Malaysia, and a few others.

A big meeting is scheduled in Washington this week with dozens of other countries to add more to the list.

No info yet on which investors are putting up the $1.67 billion in private money. Officials just said the project was already oversubscribed because it’s tied to creditworthy buyers and backed by the government.

One more thing: if a company agrees to buy, say, 20 tons of cobalt at a fixed price later, they also agree to buy that same amount again at the same price in the future. That’s part of how the stockpile is designed to keep prices stable.

The U.S. already has a military stockpile. But Trump is making sure there’s one now for regular businesses too. This way, they don’t get caught off guard if China cuts supply or prices go crazy. Instead of hoarding materials themselves, firms can plug into Project Vault, take what they need, then top it back up.

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