Trump Administration Asks For Public Comment On Draft Critical Minerals Trade Agreement

On Feb. 26, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a Federal Register notice soliciting public comment on the design of a critical minerals trade agreement and other policy actions aimed at enhancing the resilience of U.S. critical mineral supply chains and the downstream industries that depend on them.

More specifically, USTR seeks public comment on what trade policies would be necessary to:

• Increase the domestic availability of mined, refined, and processed critical minerals;
• Incentivize reshoring of the mining, processing, refining, and production of critical minerals and their derivatives; and
• Diversify the sources of mined, refined, and processed critical minerals and their derivatives among like-minded trading partners.

In particular, USTR wants public comment on the commitments necessary to establish a resilient and non-distorted marketplace among aligned trading partners, including in the context of a legally binding plurilateral agreement. Additionally, USTR would like input regarding efforts to accelerate the buildout of market-based supply, such as efforts to ensure that scrap metal flows into additional domestic production, and to ensure that policies and practices abroad do not undermine investment at home. “From infrastructure and industry to smartphones and satellites, critical minerals power our everyday lives and our national security,”

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a public statement. “We welcome comments from interested parties to help develop strategic trade policy and border mechanisms, such as price floors and tariffs, to build a resilient and non-distorted marketplace among aligned trading partners.” Comments are due by March 19, 2026.