There was news that U.S. President Donald Trump is planning a large-scale plan to build a strategic reserve of critical minerals. As soon as the news came out, the stock prices of U.S.-listed rare earth mining companies surged on Monday. Bloomberg quoted senior U.S. government officials familiar with the matter as saying that the proposal, called the "Vault Plan," would launch the United States' first strategic reserve system of critical minerals for the private sector.
On January 30, 2026, in Washington, DC, the United States, President Donald Trump spoke before signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House. The executive order signed by Trump aims to bring Formula Indy racing to Washington, D.C., this summer as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
The plan will bring together $1.67 billion in private capital, while the Export-Import Bank of the United States will provide $10 billion in loan support. The core purpose of Trump's move is to reduce the United States' dependence on China in the fields of electric vehicles, defense systems and core raw materials for advanced technologies.
MP Materials, which operates the Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California, rose 4% before the market opened on Monday; shares of American Rare Earth and Critical Metals soared 7% and 8% respectively. Investors believe that this policy move is expected to boost domestic demand for rare earths in the United States and bring government-backed financing support to the industry.
A White House spokesman has not yet responded to the incident.
U.S. Rare Earth Corporation has launched negotiations with Howard Lutnick to promote its local rare earth mining and magnet production assets to the federal government. It is reported that relevant negotiations are expected to eventually reach a proposal agreement: the US rare earth company will receive approximately US$1.6 billion in financial support (with certain conditions attached), and the US government will hold part of the company's equity.
This action by the United States is a continuation of the U.S. government’s further direct efforts in the field of rare earths. Last summer, the U.S. Department of Defense reached a landmark agreement with MP Materials, which includes the government taking a stake, setting a price floor, and signing a long-term purchase agreement to purchase a certain scale of rare earth minerals and rare earth magnets.