in effect
This is a presidential proclamation issued January 14, 2026, under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a law that lets the president restrict imports when they threaten national security. It formally accepts a Commerce Department finding that imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products (PCMDPs — think refined rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt, gallium, and products like rare earth permanent magnets) pose a national security threat, and it orders the executive branch to begin trade negotiations in response.
No new tariffs or import restrictions take effect immediately — the proclamation’s direct action is to order negotiations, not to impose duties. The Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative are jointly directed to pursue trade agreements with foreign countries to address the supply vulnerability, and must report back to the President within 180 days of January 14, 2026 (i.e., by approximately July 13, 2026). Negotiators are specifically told to consider price floors (minimum import prices) and other trade-restricting measures as part of those talks. The proclamation explicitly reserves the President’s right to impose additional measures — including tariffs or minimum import prices — if negotiations do not produce satisfactory agreements within 180 days or if any agreement reached is later found ineffective. The Secretary of Commerce is also directed to continue monitoring PCMDP imports and alert the President if further action appears needed.
U.S. manufacturers, defense contractors, and industries that rely on processed critical minerals — including electronics, electric vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, and energy — may face future import restrictions or price changes depending on how negotiations proceed, but face no new requirements today. Foreign suppliers of processed critical minerals and derivative products, particularly those in countries that currently dominate processing (such as China, which the report context implies without naming in the operative text), could be subject to new trade agreement terms or future tariffs. Domestic mining and processing companies could benefit if negotiations lead to policies that increase demand for U.S.-sourced materials.