On March 20, 2025, President Trump invoked emergency provisions under Section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code to pass an executive order to boost domestic critical mineral production (including mining, processing, refining, and smelting) and reduce American reliance on foreign sources. Critical minerals lie at the foundation of modern civilization as we know it today. Though semiconductors may serve as the building blocks for most current technologies, the raw materials for their development hinges on the availability of minerals like silicon, gallium, and germanium. While China managed to establish itself as a dominant player in semiconductor supply chains, the situation is even more acute when it comes to critical minerals. The burgeoning technology war between the United States and China, gaining traction under President Trump, has prompted the former to pursue alternate avenues for procuring and processing critical minerals, an endeavour which is likely to have significant consequences for the American economy as well as global geopolitics.
Trump’s Push for Critical Minerals: Why it will Redefine Global Economy and Geopolitics
