Trump unveils $3 billion in US critical minerals investments — OilPrice
US President Donald Trump has unveiled $3 billion in federal investments in critical minerals projects. The initiative aims to increase domestic production and reduce US dependence on Chinese supply chains for battery materials, OilPrice reports. One of the key elements of the funding was a conditional $1.4 billion loan for California-based Sila Nanotechnologies from the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital.
According to the publication, the Trump administration, following his return to the White House, announced a series of deals with companies in the rare earths and critical minerals sector. MP Materials and U.S. Rare Earths were named among the recipients of equity and debt financing packages.
Battery materials
Sila Nanotechnologies develops silicon-carbon composite anodes for lithium-ion batteries intended to replace traditional graphite anodes. Its main product, Titan Silicon, can increase battery energy density by up to 40% compared with standard graphite cells, while reducing battery weight and size, according to OilPrice.
At the end of 2025, the company began commercial-scale production processes for Titan Silicon material. The facility in Moses Lake is expected to produce enough silicon-carbon anode material for 20,000 to 50,000 electric vehicles annually.
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Another US company, Utah-based Lilac Solutions, uses patented direct lithium extraction technology from brine. According to the company, this method can take one day instead of two years with traditional extraction, yield approximately twice as much lithium, and require 99% less land by eliminating large evaporation ponds.
China's processing advantage
At the same time, China retains a significant advantage in global critical minerals supply chains. According to data cited by OilPrice, the country accounts for approximately 60% of global mining of such minerals and more than 90% of the processing and refining of certain materials, including rare earth elements, graphite, and gallium.
The Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025, cited by the publication, indicates that China is the leading processor of 19 out of 20 of the most important strategic minerals, with an average market share of 70%. According to the International Energy Agency, China produces 80% of the world's battery cells, more than 90% of active anode materials, and 85% of active cathode materials for electric vehicle batteries.
OilPrice also notes that after the repeal of the $7,500 federal tax credit for purchasing electric vehicles and the easing of fuel economy standards, US electric vehicle sales declined by 27% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026.
