On Monday (June 30), President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum instructing federal agencies to streamline the funding application process for key minerals and energy infrastructure projects. The memorandum calls for enhanced interagency information sharing, ending duplicate reviews and wasteful processes, and establishing a unified application mechanism to improve approval efficiency and make funding decisions more effectively.
The presidential memorandum specifies that all federal funding applications related to energy infrastructure, key minerals, and materials will be submitted for review to the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC). The council, led by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, is responsible for coordinating interdepartmental information sharing and fund allocation.
The memorandum stipulates that if information sharing requires the consent of applicants or recipients, agencies should promptly contact them, and no funds should be disbursed until consent is obtained.
According to the memorandum, agencies must revise existing information sharing policies within 60 days and initiate relevant rulemaking processes as needed to facilitate data exchange.
The memorandum also directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and NEDC to jointly launch a “Federal Funding Shared Application Form” within 180 days, allowing applicants to submit applications to multiple government funding programs with a single document. The application form must include appropriate authorization provisions to ensure data sharing across agencies.
The Trump administration’s push for simplifying approval processes aims to reduce the United States’ high dependence on imported key minerals, particularly rare earths and magnetic materials from China.
According to a report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in April 2024, the U.S. relies completely on imports for 12 of the 50 “most critical” minerals, and more than 50% for 29 others.
In January of this year, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) also pointed out that domestically, none of the 31 key minerals needed for devices like smartphones and fighter jets can be produced, with only beryllium being commercially refined.
Since taking office, President Trump has signed multiple executive orders related to mining policies, including the “Securing National Security and Economic Resilience” order on April 15, announcing the launch of the first wave of mineral projects on April 18, and listing 10 projects on the “Federal Permitting Dashboard” on May 2.
On June 25, the Department of the Interior also announced plans to promote offshore mineral development to enhance U.S. supply chain security.
In Monday’s action, the Trump administration further attempted to shorten the approval timeline for key minerals and energy infrastructure by consolidating funding applications and establishing interagency coordination mechanisms, aiming to reduce external dependencies and reshape the strategic resilience of the U.S. domestic supply chain.