New! On January 14th 2026, President Trump released a proclamation announcing that there will be no immediate tariffs or quotas on critical minerals and the U.S. will enter into negotiations with trading partners to adjust their imports. Other actions may be taken within 180 days of January 14, 2026, if agreements are not reached, are not being carried out, or are ineffective.
ST&R offers a three-pronged approach for avoiding, mitigating, and/or recovering these and other tariffs. For more information on which of these strategies might be most effective for your business, please contact ST&R.
Section 232 Investigation
These actions result from a Section 232 investigation initiated on April 15, 2025. The investigation assessed the national security risks related to imports of critical minerals, including rare earth elements. The investigation included imports of critical mineral oxides, oxalates, salts, and metals (processed critical minerals) as well as their derivative products. On November 7, 2025, boron, copper, lead, metallurgical coal, phosphate, potash, rhenium, silicon, silver, and uranium were added to the minerals affected by this investigation. On October 24, 2025, the Secretay transmitted a report to the President finding that imports of critical minerals were threatening to impair the national security of the United States.
Official Documents