Trump to fast-track 10 mining projects to boost critical minerals production

Announced on April 18, the move seeks to accelerate key mining initiatives to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign mineral imports and enhance national energy and infrastructure security.

The White House announced it will fast-track permitting for 10 mining projects across the U.S., aiming to expand the domestic supply of critical minerals under President Donald Trump’s initiative. These projects, involving resources such as copper, antimony, and lithium, have received FAST-41 status, a designation created in 2015 to streamline federal approvals for infrastructure projects.

The selected projects include Perpetua Resources proposed antimony and gold mine in Idaho, Rio Tinto’s copper project in Arizona and Hecla Mining’s copper and silver mine in Montana. Other notable projects are the expansion of Albemarle’s lithium mine in Nevada, a lithium extraction facility in Arkansas by Standard Lithium and Warrior Met Coal’s metallurgical coal project in Alabama.

All projects are listed on a federal website that tracks permitting progress, a move the administration says promotes transparency and efficiency. “This transparency leads to greater accountability, ensuring a more efficient process,” said the White House in a statement.

Companies involved have welcomed the decision. Perpetua said it was honored by the selection, calling the project critical for U.S. economic and national security. Rio Tinto emphasized the importance of its Arizona mine in supporting America’s energy infrastructure. Albemarle also expressed support, highlighting efforts to strengthen the domestic lithium supply chain.

The White House indicated more projects will be added in the future. Notably, the Hermosa zinc-manganese project in Arizona, backed by South32, was the first mine fast-tracked under Joe Biden's administration.

Trump also launched a probe into possible new tariffs on U.S. critical mineral imports, intensifying trade tensions and targeting China’s dominance in the sector.