At Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum’s direction, the Department of the Interior is taking decisive steps to recover critical minerals essential to America’s economic strength, national defense, and energy future from mine waste, coal refuse, tailings and abandoned uranium mines. This effort aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production and underscores the Administration’s commitment to securing domestic supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign sources…As part of the Department's broader efforts to support critical mineral production, the Secretary’s Order directs the Department to streamline federal regulations on the recovery of critical minerals from mine waste, while updating guidance to make mine waste recovery projects eligible for federal funding…This transformative action is set to bolster the U.S. economy, enhance national security, and promote environmental stewardship by utilizing mineral resources that have been overlooked for too long…“Recovering critical minerals from mine waste is integral to strengthening America’s mineral independence while promoting economic growth and national security,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Scott Cameron. 

The Democratic Republic of Congo is seeking a cobalt price that encourages domestic processing, as the government considers its next steps to follow a ban on exports of the battery metal, according to the chairman of the state mining company…Congo, which accounts for about three-quarters of global cobalt supply, suspended shipments for four months on Feb. 22, before extending the ban by three months in June. The decision came after prices slumped in recent years as output soared, particularly from two mines operated by China’s CMOC Group Ltd…“No one can invest in a refinery in the country because the price was not sustainable,” Gecamines Chairman Guy-Robert Lukama said…The initial ban was introduced shortly after benchmark prices dropped toward historic lows of less than $10 a pound. They have risen almost 60% since Congo closed its borders to cobalt shipments, while the price of hydroxide has more than doubled, according to Fastmarkets data…The trading unit of CMOC, which produced more than 40% of the world’s cobalt in 2024, last month declared force majeure on hydroxide deliveries, showing the increasing strain on flows…The continuing ban coincides with Congo and the US working toward a strategic partnership to bring more American investment into the African nation’s reserves of copper, cobalt, lithium and tantalum. President Donald Trump’s administration is trying to loosen China’s grip on key minerals and their supply chains…The country’s leaders are weighing longer-term options, including possible export limits once the ban is lifted, to balance the market, support prices and promote local refining. A quota “could make sense,” according to Lukama. “We are very pragmatic on what we’re looking for.”

The United States and Indonesia are discussing joint measures to monitor and manage trade in Indonesian critical minerals that have strategic value, an Indonesian minister said on Thursday as he gave details of ongoing talks between the two countries…But chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto told journalists that the two sides were still in discussions about how to better regulate trade in vital, dual-use commodities…Commodities considered strategic are those used in Artificial Intelligence infrastructure, data centres, aviation, and the aerospace and space flight industries, he said…Indonesia, an archipelago and the largest economy of Southeast Asia, has large reserves of a number of critical minerals as well as deposits of rare earth elements…It is also the world's largest producer of nickel products, the biggest exporter of tin, and a major producer of copper. Chinese companies currently dominate the processing industry for nickel and bauxite in Indonesia…Airlangga also said that negotiations were on between the two countries to lower tariffs on Indonesian commodities entering the United States, adding that the rate could be close to 0%.