During his meeting with Starmer, Trump confirmed that he would be signing an agreement with Ukraine on Feb. 28 that would allow the United States access to the Eastern European country’s rare earth minerals.

Why would they be concerned about the EPA and other regulatory agencies choking off the development of new mines or the production of refined rare earth minerals? Their business was driven by coding and by programmers.

Venezuela is a veritable gold mine of other natural resources such as rare-earth minerals, lumber, bauxite (the primary source of aluminum), and natural gas.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party is calling on the Trump administration to establish a federal “critical minerals czar” post, a strategic resources reserve, a critical minerals tax credit, and a “National Center for Rare Earths

China responded to the first batch with 15 percent tariffs on coal and LNG products and 10 percent on crude oil, farming tools, and heavy displacement vehicles, along with restrictions on rare earth minerals and substances used in military industry.

Commentary Minerals matter. We found out just how much so with China’s rare-earth element export restrictions against the United States and Western Europe in 2025.

–Ukraine minerals agreement—which would see U.S. investment go into Ukraine to jointly develop the nation's vast rare earth minerals resources and allow the United States access to $500 billion worth of deposits—escalated into a public argument between

and rare earths.

That influence ranges from strategic rare-earth minerals in Argentina to soybeans in Brazil, oil and illegal drugs in Venezuela, potential militarized bases near the Panama Canal, and even cartels and political and business elites in Mexico.

While Zelenskyy has said he is ready to sign an economic proposal that would trade access to his nation’s rare earth minerals for U.S. military aid, the Trump administration is saying the deal is off the table, for now, following the Oval Office argument

A deal granting the United States access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals and other natural resources would help protect Ukraine against Russian aggression, according to a snippet of a social media message reposted by President Donald Trump on March 2

H.R. 4781: Rare Earth Solutions and Carbon Utilization Enhancement (RESCUE) Act of 2025 – Encourages the development of rare earth elements and carbon-related technologies.

A man driving a front loader shifts soil containing rare earth minerals to be loaded at a port in Lianyungang, China, on Sept. 5, 2010.

Ramaco Resources plans to extract coal and more than 450 tons of rare earths from its 4,500-acre Brook Mine near Ranchester, Wyoming.

According to Trump, Beijing will continue to export rare earth minerals, and Chinese students will be able to attend U.S. colleges and universities.

China on Nov. 7 told traders to report real-time export information of rare earths as part of its latest efforts to control the supply chain of critical minerals amid tensions with the West.

The rare earth mineral chokehold—which led Trump to suggest calling off the meeting—isn’t the only card Beijing holds in the negotiation, Moolenaar said.

Despite several recent trade wins, Trump still faces unresolved battles, including a new trade agreement and an ongoing standoff with China over rare-earth minerals.

The United States is finding alternatives to rare earth minerals from China after the pandemic highlighted supply chain concerns. We explore the issues with supply chains and semiconductor production.

During a talk with the Atlantic Council on Feb. 4, Wilkinson mentioned a number of areas in which Canada could cooperate with the United States to undercut China, including jointly investing in a germanium project and in a rare earth minerals processing

President Donald Trump also recently said the United States would end its reliance on China for rare-earth minerals within 18 months under an “emergency program.”

(Maxim Shemetov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Karadeli said he believes Washington likely views Belarus as an alternative source of energy and rare earth minerals.

"We’re sitting on trillions and trillions of dollars under our feet," Trump said, referring to natural resources such as gas, oil, and rare-earth minerals.

A loader shifts soil containing rare earth minerals at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, on Sept. 5, 2010. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) China controls over 65 percent of the world’s supply of graphite.

Mongolia, a resource-rich country landlocked between China and Russia, is cementing its partnership with the United States on rare earths. Analysts say it is a significant geopolitical move that could break China's monopoly on rare earth minerals.

China has banned certain rare earth mineral exports, ordered Chinese companies to not buy Boeing aircraft, and imposed 125 percent tariffs on U.S. imports.

Friday’s high-profile meeting at the Oval Office grew tense as Vice President JD Vance, Trump, and Zelenskyy discussed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and a proposed agreement allowing the U.S. greater access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals

The agreement caused shares to rise on the Australian Stock Exchange, with Northern Minerals up 9 percent and Arafura Rare Earths and Alcoa Corporation up 8 percent.

Rare Earth Metal Supply Chain in the West The Norwegian find is a result of the West rebuilding its supply chain for rare earth minerals. It follows an announcement from LKAB, a Swedish mining company, earlier in January 2023.

The seabed contains critical minerals like cobalt, copper, nickel, and other rare earth elements.