Trump Administration Urgently Seeks Critical Mineral Projects, Targeting Defense Supply Chain Security

According to information from Zhesheng Finance APP, the Trump administration is seeking proposals from domestic U.S. producers for investment, focusing on metals used in the production of equipment such as fighter jets, night vision goggles, and tank armor. The Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense, has issued a request for proposals, aiming to fill gaps in the domestic production of indium, manganese, magnesium, and titanium. The U.S. Geological Survey classifies all four metals as critical minerals. This means they are vital for economic or national security, and their supply chains are vulnerable to disruptions.

According to the request published last Friday, the deadline for submissions is September 17. Eligible projects can cover any part of the supply chain—from mining, processing, and refining, to alloy manufacturing and recycling. This is the third such investment solicitation by the DIBC since mid-2025 around critical minerals and advanced defense technologies. The U.S. government requires companies and entrepreneurs to submit a one-page PowerPoint slide, clearly outlining the project plan in four quadrants. Projects that pass to the next stage will be asked to provide more in-depth materials, such as project execution plans.

This solicitation did not disclose the size of the available investment funds. According to Tripp Hornick, government funding expert at Quince Street Strategy, the size of the funds available is expected to become clearer as the fiscal year 2027 defense budget is finalized.

It is reported that U.S. companies with domestic reserves of the above four key metals include: IperionX (IPX.US) — owning the Titan critical minerals project in Tennessee (over 11,000 acres, including titanium, rare earth elements, and zircon sand), and building a titanium metal production line in Virginia; the final feasibility study is completed and a Department of Defense order secured in 2026.

Electric Metals (USA) Ltd — the only company clearly advancing domestic manganese mining and battery-grade processing. Its Emily deposit/North Star project in Minnesota is North America's highest-grade manganese deposit. In 2026, evaluation of downstream high-purity manganese sulfate/electrolytic manganese facilities is scheduled to begin, targeting an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons of high-purity manganese sulfate (HPMSM) and 10,000 tons of electrolytic manganese metal (EMM).

Arkansas Magnesium, a joint venture between Magrathea and Tetra Technologies, will commission America’s first newly built primary magnesium smelter in nearly 50 years in Lafayette County, Arkansas, in June 2026, using underground brine electrolysis to produce metal magnesium with ≥99.9% purity. As the U.S. previously lacked large-scale commercial primary magnesium smelting capacity, this project is a key step in rebuilding the domestic supply chain.