Trump launches $12 billion minerals stockpile to boost US manufacturing, counter China

From Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to launch a strategic critical minerals stockpile with $12 billion in seed money from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, a Trump administration official familiar with the plan said.

The investment marks Washington’s latest attempt to offset what policymakers view as Chinese manipulation of prices for lithium, nickel, rare earths and other critical minerals – vital for items from electric vehicles to high-tech weaponry – that has stymied American mining companies for years.