Trump Takes On China’s Critical Mineral Dominance (And He’s Not Alone!)

Believe it or not, the first Cold War didn’t really start with a speech.

No, the truth is that it actually started with paperwork.

In 1949, the U.S. and its allies built CoCom, a coordinated export-control regime designed to keep the Soviet bloc from getting the tools and components that could be turned into leverage. 

This wasn’t some glamorous move, but rather a series of lists, licenses, denials — along with a shared understanding that industrial power is just military power with a better suit.

CoCom mattered because it recognized an ugly truth — that is, you don’t have to outshoot a rival if you can out-supply them. 

Control the inputs, and you’ll have a powerful veto over what the other side can build, no matter how aggressive its ambitions are. 

That’s why the February 2026 alignment between President Trump and the EU feels less like a press event and more like a new Cold War had ignited.  

So what happened? Well, the EU, Japan, and the United States released a joint statement tying critical minerals directly to economic security and national security, with a specific commitment to conclude an EU-U.S. Memorandum of Understanding within the next 30 days. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. Trade Representative also announced that these three players plan on coordinating “Action Plans” for critical-minerals supply chain resilience, including mechanisms like border-adjusted price floors. 

Simply put, a new cold war over critical minerals has begun. 

And this time, you won’t find a single tank lined up on the border. 

The Bloc, the Floor, and the Strategic Stockpile

Let’s not mince words, this is an aggressive move against China’s dominance across large parts of the critical-minerals chain, especially processing and refining. 

Yet there’s a simpler, more private reason for us banding together with our allies — the West has learned that price isn’t the only variable. 

Today, we need to factor in reliability, politics, and perhaps most importantly, timing. 

This new critical minerals bloc is starting to look like a system, not a slogan.

A few days ago, the Trump administration announced “Project Vault,” a $12 billion plan to stockpile critical minerals, backed by $10 billion in seed funding from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, along with another $2 billion in private funding. 

There’s no question what the purpose behind this alliance is, too. The goal is to counter China’s dominance and reduce our vulnerability to disruptions in minerals tied to EVs, advanced weaponry, and tech manufacturing. 

President Trump wants to build a buffer that can cover an emergency window of 60-days. 

Think of it like a strategic reserve for critical minerals. 

In fact, Trump’s team is already laying out the next step — identifying a “preferential zone” for critical minerals that is backed by a system of reference prices and price floors maintained through adjustable tariffs. 

As you might expect, China isn’t too happy with this new bloc.  

For the record, here’s what this playbook looks like when you strip out the pomp and circumstance:

• A coordinated critical-minerals “zone” among partners, intended to channel supply through friendly jurisdictions. 

• Reference prices and border-adjusted price floors to prevent “flooding” and predatory undercutting at different stages of production and processing. 

• A strategic stockpile (Project Vault) designed to provide an emergency buffer and reduce exposure to sudden supply shocks. 

• Expanded financing muscle through the Export-Import Bank, which Reuters notes has discussed investing up to $100 billion to help secure U.S. and allied supply chains across critical minerals (and related strategic sectors). 

• And an EU-U.S. Memorandum of Understanding targeted within the next 30 days, meant to formalize cooperation and accelerate practical coordination. 

Now don’t get me wrong, none of this guarantees that new mines will suddenly pop up overnight. 

Unfortunately, mining and permitting is slow, and processing capacity is slower. 

However, the signal now is that Washington and Brussels are finally treating the minerals stack the way they treat energy security — as an infrastructure that you build or suffer the consequences.

And the “new Cold War” angle isn’t a hyperbolic metaphor, either. 

We’re looking at a future operating system.

Profiting from Trump’s New Cold War 

In moments like this, it’s easy to get pulled toward the most dramatic announcement.

A shiny new program, a fresh acronym, a “moonshot” headline that makes it sound like supply chains can be built in a weekend.

But critical minerals — and especially boosting production of them — don’t move on hype. 

What they need is the right geology, processing know-how, permits, rigs and mills, and of course, years of hard work that never goes viral.

That’s why this U.S.-EU alignment matters so much for what’s already in the ground, already mapped, permitted, drilled, and flowing smoothly through the early stages of development. 

Because when governments start establishing price floors, reference pricing, preferential zones, and stockpiles, they’re telling us what they truly want — continuity! 

Then there’s the unspoken reality in this EU-U.S. strategic handshake: friendly supply is not just “mining more.” It’ll dig deep into the mining, processing, and refining through jurisdictions that can’t be turned off with a quick phone call from Beijing. 

That’s why you don’t look for speeches. You start with assets, deposits, and the miners with the cash flow to bring their projects to fruition. 

Trump’s new Cold War won’t reward the best slogan.

He’ll reward the right players with the right projects in the right position. 

Why don’t you take a moment and see where he’s looking first.