US Unveils $12 Billion Project Vault to Stockpile Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements

US PresidentDonald Trumphas unveiled a $12 billion initiative called Project Vault, a sweeping public-private effort to stockpile critical minerals and rare earth elements that underpin modern technology, clean energy, and national defense. Announced from the Oval Office, the plan is designed to reduce America’s dependence on China, which currently dominates global supply chains for many of these materials. At a time when trade tensions with Beijing are shaping industrial policy, Project Vault signals a shift in how Washington thinks about economic security. This is not just about minerals. It is about leverage, resilience, and how the US prepares for future supply shocks in a world where geopolitics increasingly intersects with technology. Project Vault is a federally backed initiative aimed at purchasing, storing, and managing reserves of critical minerals and rare earth elements that are essential to both civilian and military industries. The White House describes it as a strategic safeguard, similar in concept to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but adapted for the age of batteries, semiconductors, and advanced weapons systems. The project combines public funding with private capital to build a large-scale mineral stockpile. According to officials: