President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday invoking emergency powers to boost U.S. production of critical minerals — and potentially coal — in a sweeping move aimed at reducing America’s reliance on foreign imports and strengthening national security. The order taps the Defense Production Act to direct financial support and investment into domestic mineral production, while also accelerating permitting processes and prioritizing mineral development on federal lands.

The executive action reflects growing concern within Washington over China’s dominance in processing vital minerals used in defense systems, electronics, batteries, and other strategic sectors. The White House emphasized that the U.S. is currently import-reliant for at least 15 critical minerals, with 70% of rare earths coming from China. “Our national and economic security are now acutely threatened by our reliance upon hostile foreign powers’ mineral production,” the order states.

China’s imports of U.S. cotton, cars, and select energy products plunged sharply in the first two months of 2025, a direct consequence of President Donald Trump’s newly imposed tariffs and China’s swift retaliatory measures. The downturn in trade signals the growing disruption global supply chains are facing as tensions between the world’s two largest economies escalate.

Cotton imports from the U.S. plummeted by nearly 80% year-on-year. Large-engined U.S. car shipments fell almost 70%, while imports of American crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) were down more than 40%. These declines came on the heels of China’s retaliatory tariffs, many of which were implemented in February and March, directly targeting politically and economically sensitive U.S. exports.

China is planning a significant expansion of its strategic reserves of key industrial metals in 2025, as it seeks to fortify its supply chains for critical minerals amid surging demand from the energy transition and rising geopolitical uncertainty. The National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration is set to purchase additional volumes of cobalt, copper, nickel, and lithium — metals essential to electric vehicles, battery storage, and renewable infrastructure.

The move, which was signaled in the National Development & Reform Commission’s (NDRC) annual parliamentary report, underlines Beijing’s dual strategy: ensuring resilience in times of global supply disruption and exerting influence over global commodity markets. The NDRC stated it would “move faster to fulfill the yearly task of stockpiling strategic goods”.

China’s copper smelting industry is facing its most intense margin pressure in years, as a deepening shortage of copper concentrate forces major smelters to shut down equipment for maintenance — unusually early in the year — in a bid to limit losses. March is typically a peak demand month, coming off the Lunar New Year holiday when industrial activity normally picks up. But this year, roughly 980,000 metric tons of smelting capacity, or 8% of China’s total, has already been idled for maintenance — a significantly higher figure than usual.

Multiple smelter sources confirmed the early maintenance shutdowns, including Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group, which contributes more than 13% of China’s refined copper output. This reflects a coordinated industry response to a crisis in feedstock availability, with the scarcity of copper concentrate now so acute that processing fees — a key revenue stream for smelters — have turned negative.

The EU’s recently unveiled 52-page “Simplification Omnibus” targets smaller firms, offering them exemptions from rigorous sustainability disclosures and trimming obligations around supply chain transparency. But for large multinationals, the changes do little to offset the hefty compliance workload. The companies estimate they dedicate several full-time staff and undergo additional audits to gather data for more than 1,000 required sustainability metrics.

This first wave of simplification comes as the EU attempts to balance climate commitments with competitiveness, especially as the U.S. under President Trump aggressively pares back regulation to stimulate growth. While smaller European firms—those with fewer than 1,000 employees—could save €4.4 billion annually under the proposed reforms, large companies see little relief in sight.

The Biden-to-Trump policy whiplash on Alaskan energy development has entered a new phase with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s sweeping announcement to unlock vast tracts of land for oil, gas, and infrastructure development—delivering on President Donald Trump’s executive order to ramp up U.S. energy production and reduce regulatory barriers.

Burgum said the administration will reopen 82% of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) for leasing and restore the full 1.56 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s (ANWR) Coastal Plain for oil and gas development. He also announced plans to rescind restrictions along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Corridor and Dalton Highway north of the Yukon River, which would unlock land transfers to the state and clear the way for the Alaska LNG pipeline and the Ambler Road—projects previously halted under President Biden.

India’s decision to let its flagship $23 billion Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme lapse marks a sobering reassessment of its ambitious effort to transform the country into a global manufacturing hub and reduce dependence on China. Launched in 2020 amid geopolitical tensions, COVID-era disruptions in China, and shifting global supply chains, the PLI program was meant to capitalize on the moment when multinational firms were looking for a “China plus one” strategy. But just four years on, the Modi government has opted not to extend the scheme beyond its 14 original sectors, signaling frustration over implementation gaps, underwhelming outcomes, and slow disbursement of subsidies.

The PLI initiative initially drew wide participation—over 750 firms including global giants like Foxconn and domestic powerhouses like Reliance Industries. Companies were promised cash incentives if they met ambitious production thresholds, with the goal of raising manufacturing’s share in GDP from 15.4% to 25% by 2025.

Germany’s newly approved €1 trillion spending package marks a historic pivot in both its defense posture and economic strategy, signaling a fundamental shift away from decades of fiscal restraint and military underinvestment. The plan—passed with a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament—unlocks vast funds for both military modernization and long-overdue infrastructure upgrades, as Berlin responds to mounting pressure to secure its own defense and economic resilience amid geopolitical uncertainty and weakening U.S. security guarantees.

This sea change comes as Germany prepares for a new government under Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz, who has pledged greater European cooperation and a commitment to addressing the country’s industrial stagnation. The spending package, which includes a constitutional amendment exempting defense and critical investments from Germany’s strict budget deficit limits, lays the groundwork for the country to significantly expand its military capacity and invest in future-facing sectors like cybersecurity, AI, and space.