President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on July 30 to implement export restrictions on recoverable critical minerals.
The presidential memorandum gave Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick authority to restrict the export of old batteries and other electronic waste containing critical minerals and materials.
The July 30 directive came after Trump recently directed the Department of War to restrict waivers in 2027 for defense contractors that purchase critical minerals from certain foreign countries. The Trump administration previously noted that 70 percent of U.S. imports of rare earth minerals came from China and that the United States is fully dependent on imports for at least 15 critical minerals….