Trump Administration Seeks Key Mining Projects to Target Defense Supply Chain Security

The Zhitong Finance App learned that the Trump administration is seeking investment plans from US manufacturers, focusing on metals used to manufacture equipment such as fighter jets, night vision goggles, and tank armor. The Defense Industry Foundation Coalition (DIBC) under the US Department of Defense has issued a call for applications to fill gaps in indium, manganese, magnesium, and titanium production in the US. The US Geological Survey classified all four metals as critical minerals. This means they are critical to economic security or national security, and their supply chains are vulnerable to disruptions.

According to the call for applications released last Friday, the deadline for submitting applications is September 17. Eligible projects can cover any part of the entire supply chain, from mining, processing and refining to alloy manufacturing and recycling. This is DIBC's third call for investment projects around key minerals and advanced defense technology since mid-2025. The US Government requires businesses and entrepreneurs to submit a one-page PowerPoint slide that succinctly outlines the project plan in four quadrants. Projects that pass the next stage of screening will be required to submit more in-depth information, such as project implementation plans.

The amount of investment capital that can be provided was not disclosed in this call. Government funding expert Tripp Hornick of Quince Street Strategy said that with the finalization of the 2027 defense budget, the amount of funding that can be obtained is expected to become more clear.

According to reports, companies in the US that own the above four key metal minerals include: IperionX (IPX.US) — which owns the Titan key mineral project in Tennessee (over 11,000 acres, including titanium, rare earth, and zircon sand) and is building a titanium production line in Virginia; it has completed the final feasibility study and received an order from the Department of Defense in 2026.

Electric Metals (USA) Ltd — the only company that clearly promotes local manganese ore mining and battery grade processing. The Emily Deposit/North Star Project in Minnesota is the highest grade manganese ore in North America. In 2026, an evaluation of downstream high-purity manganese sulfate/electrolytic manganese facilities will begin, with a target annual output of 100,000 tons of high-purity manganese sulfate (HPMSM) and 10,000 tons of electrolytic manganese (EMM).

Arkansas Magnesium, a joint venture between Magrathea and Tetra Technologies, was built in June 2026 in Lafayette County, Arkansasthe first new primary magnesium smelter in the US in nearly 50 years to produce ≥ 99.9% pure metallic magnesium using underground brine electrolysis. Since the US did not have commercial-scale native magnesium smelting capacity before, this project is a key step in rebuilding the local supply chain.