U.S. FACES CRITICAL MINERALS SHORTAGE President Trump aims to end U.S. reliance on Chinese critical minerals by January 2027, but industry l

U.S. FACES CRITICAL MINERALS SHORTAGE President Trump aims to end U.S. reliance on Chinese critical minerals by January 2027, but industry leaders warn domestic supply is nowhere near ready. Despite billions in government support, the U.S. still lacks enough mining and processing capacity, while China controls over 80% of rare earth refining. Many Pentagon-backed projects won't reach meaningful production until 2027-2030, making the deadline difficult to achieve.