United States: Mining

The Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital has launched a groundbreaking fund-level financing program targeting critical minerals supply chains essential to U.S. national security. Unlike traditional government loans to individual companies, this initiative provides capital directly to qualified investment fund managers who can leverage federal loans alongside private capital to address strategic mineral shortages and vulnerabilities in the defense industrial base.

The Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital has launched a groundbreaking $500 million to $1 billion fund finance program targeting critical minerals vital to U.S. national security. How will this federal-private capital partnership reshape financing for companies addressing supply chain vulnerabilities in strategic materials?

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) recently published a temporary final rule and request for public comments that effectively prohibits the export of black mass and tungsten waste and scrap without prior BIS authorization. The rule takes effect August 27, 2026, and expires one year later, although BIS may extend the effective time period beyond this date.

Federal agencies are deploying equity and equity-linked capital instruments across the critical minerals sector, fundamentally reshaping how mining and processing projects are capitalized, governed and exited. This structural shift introduces new considerations for sponsors and strategic investors navigating transactions where national security priorities intersect with private capital formation.

President Trump has invoked Defense Production Act authorities to support energy infrastructure deemed essential to national defense, covering grid components, natural gas systems, coal supply chains, and petroleum capacity. The determinations create a legal pathway for the Department of Energy to deploy financial support mechanisms, though their practical impact will depend on funding availability and implementation decisions. The move has sparked debate over whether emergency authority is being appropriat

On May 1, the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, more than 25 years in the making, will take effect on a provisional basis.

The Trump Administration is becoming increasingly focused, and ambitious, in implementing its agenda to secure US access to critical minerals and rare earth materials.

On February 2, 2026, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the Trump Administration announced Project Vault, a $12 billion initiative establishing...

On Jan. 21, 2026, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) finalized revisions to its existing regulations governing deep seabed...