The Trump administration will soon launch a $12 billion critical minerals stockpile designed to insulate U.S. manufacturing from supply disruptions tied to China’s dominance of mining and refining. According to sources cited by Bloomberg, the initiative, known as Project Vault, will provide a roughly 60-day emergency buffer for key minerals used across electronics, automotive, aerospace, and energy supply chains.
Procurement of the stockpile will primarily be financed through a $10 billion, 15-year loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, supplemented by around $1.67 billion in private capital. The bank is expected to vote later today on whether to authorize the 15-year loan, which is more than double the net-largest deal it has ever issued, while President Trump is scheduled to meet with General Motors CEO Mary Barra and mining magnate Robert Friedland.
