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U.S. Launches $12 Billion 'Project Vault' Critical Minerals Reserve

A record Export-Import Bank loan underpins a 60-day industrial buffer to curb reliance on Chinese processing.

Overview

  • President Donald Trump announced Project Vault on Feb. 2, backed by a 15-year US$10 billion Export-Import Bank loan and about US$1.67 billion in private capital.
  • More than a dozen manufacturers have joined the effort, including General Motors, Stellantis, Boeing, Corning, GE Vernova, and Alphabet’s Google.
  • Commodity traders Hartree Partners, Traxys North America, and Mercuria Energy Group were tapped to procure and manage materials for the reserve.
  • The stockpile will cover rare earths and other critical minerals such as gallium and cobalt, targeting a roughly 60-day emergency buffer for electronics, automotive, aerospace, and energy supply chains.
  • The rollout is aligned with allied consultations in Washington to diversify non‑China supply chains, building on U.S. investments and cooperation agreements with partners like Australia.