Lunes 19 de noviembre del 2026

The White House on January 14 directed the Commerce Department and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to “negotiate agreements to address the threat posed to national security regarding imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products from any country,” according to a USTR fact sheet. However, the Commerce Department’s Section 232 investigation relating to critical minerals concluded without the application of any new tariffs or other trade restrictions in the immediate future.

‌Partners, Not Tariffs: “By negotiating with interested parties to create an economically viable market for critical minerals,” said Ambassador Greer, “we can promote demand for and boost the supply of critical minerals at home and with partner countries.” According to a White House fact sheet, the Section 232 investigation found that the United States is overly reliant on foreign sources of such products, noting last year the U.S. was 100% “net-import reliant for 12 critical minerals, and 50 percent or greater net-import reliant for a further 29 critical minerals.”

Setting Price Floors: Depending on the outcome of those talks, the president may take other actions, including imposing price floors for specific types of critical mineral imports. The fact sheet notes that the United States is “experiencing unsustainable price volatility with respect to critical mineral markets.” The announcement also focuses on processing shortfalls despite some domestic mining capabilities.

The Chamber in May 2025 submitted detailed comments to the Commerce Department at the beginning of the Section 232 investigation. Those comments focused on ways to boost coordination with reliable partners as well as the importance of advancing permitting reform.

More Mineral Deals: The Trump administration has struck critical mineral deals with some trading partners, including Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand. Similarly, the United States, Australia, India, and Japan last July launched the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative to advance collective action in securing and diversifying critical minerals supply chains. These efforts build off work that began during the Biden administration.