President Donald Trump speaks as he announces the creation of the U.S. strategic critical minerals reserve during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 2, 2026. Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Donald Trump announced on Feb. 2 a new strategic private sector critical minerals stockpile.
“Project Vault” is being seeded with $1.67 billion in private capital and a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and it is meant to insulate U.S. industries from market disruptions such as the seismic critical minerals rule change Beijing previewed in 2025.
