President Trump’s executive order to increase domestic critical mineral production has been interpreted as a pro-industry move or a nod to traditional energy sectors. It is both — but more importantly, it is a long overdue national security play.

In the modern geopolitical chess game, America’s mineral vulnerability is not just an economic liability but a strategic one.

The order activates the Defense Production Act to boost domestic mining and processing of minerals like lithium, rare earths, nickel, cobalt, copper and uranium. These resources are critical to electrification, power generation, advanced consumer technology and modern defense systems. The directive also calls for federal agencies to expedite mining permits, prioritize mineral-rich federal lands and coordinate efforts under a new “National Energy Dominance Council.”

This is a sweeping move, but also a necessary one.

In an era of increasing global competition, critical minerals are the silent power source behind energy security, economic security and military strength. And the U.S. is alarmingly dependent on foreign sources — particularly China — for their supply.

China dominates the global rare earth supply chain, controlling most mining operations and refining capacity worldwide. Beijing has previously used this leverage as a tool of coercion, restricting exports to Japan in 2010 and threatening to do the same to the U.S. during trade tensions.

It doesn’t take much imagination to see how this could become a battlefield constraint. In a future conflict, how many U.S. military systems would face delays or degradation because of a Chinese export squeeze on neodymium or dysprosium, which are used to create powerful magnets used in drones and other defense systems? Trump’s order frames these questions as national security risks — and rightly so.

The executive order tackles several long-standing structural failures in the U.S. mineral supply chain. It addresses permitting delays by requiring agencies to fast-track critical mineral projects and assigns oversight to the newly established National Energy Dominance Council. To reduce reliance on foreign processing, particularly from China, it authorizes use of the Defense Production Act to spur investment in domestic refining infrastructure. It also instructs federal agencies to identify and prioritize mineral-rich public lands for development.

By centralizing authority, accelerating project timelines and mobilizing financial tools, the order aims to build a more resilient, vertically-integrated domestic mineral supply chain that serves both economic and defense needs.

This is not industrial policy for its own sake, it is strategic infrastructure development. Every new mine, refinery or processing facility is a node of resilience in a supply chain that can no longer afford to be fragile.

The logic mirrors past energy security arguments. In the 1970s, America’s overreliance on foreign oil triggered economic shocks. In the 2020s, the equivalent risk lies in our dependence on critical minerals. These minerals are not merely inputs — they are leverage.

Critics will point to environmental trade-offs, and those concerns should be heard. But no industrial strategy is free of risk. America must manage environmental concerns, not be paralyzed by them. Sovereignty sometimes means digging deep.

This order is a signal to markets and allies that America is serious about securing its energy and economic foundation. If the U.S. fails to control the mineral inputs of modern life, it will fail to control its own industrial destiny.

Trump’s directive isn’t about nostalgia for mining — it’s about preparing for the next era of geopolitical competition. Sovereignty and national security now begins beneath our feet.

Dr. Sara Vakhshouri is the chair of the Institute of World Politics’ Center for Energy Security and Diplomacy.