US agencies develop critical minerals price floor to break China dependence, Bloomberg reports

The U.S. has developed a critical minerals price floor system that it’s pitching to allies as the Trump administration and more than 50 countries look to reduce dependence on China for the resources that are deemed critical to national security, _Bloomberg News_ reported.

Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said multiple U.S. agencies have developed the system and are having conversations with allies and partners, the report said. It’s the latest update to progress being made by the US and its allies to ringfence Western companies from China’s pressure on those markets.

“We have had multiple agencies take a close look at this. They have developed a very, very sophisticated price floor system that we are having conversations with our allies and partners about,” Helberg said. “We are very excited about it because pricing is the key to unlocking private investment.”

Industry participants have long considered price floors for critical minerals to protect non-Chinese companies from market flooding by China, which can depress profits for Western firms.

Relevant stocks include USA Rare Earth (USAR [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/USAR]), United States Antimony (UAMY [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/UAMY]), Critical Metals (CRML [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CRML]), Ramaco Resources (METC [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/METC]), NioCorp Developments (NB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NB]), MP Materials (MP [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MP]), TMC the metals company (TMC [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TMC]), Lithium Americas (LAC [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LAC]), Perpetua Resources (PPTA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PPTA]), Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NMG]), Trilogy Metals (TMQ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TMQ]), Westwater Resources (WWR [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/WWR]), Albemarle (ALB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ALB]), Sigma Lithium (SGML [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SGML]), and Standard Lithium (SLI [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SLI]).

ETFs: (REMX [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/REMX]), (XME [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/XME]), (LIT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LIT]), (BATT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BATT])

MORE ON VANECK RARE EARTH AND STRATEGIC METALS ETF, MP MATERIALS, ETC.

* MP Materials: Advancing On National Security And Government-Backed Cash Flow Floor [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4869969-mp-materials-advancing-on-national-security-and-government-backed-cash-flow-floor]
* MP Materials: A Miner Trying To Become A Contracted U.S. Magnet Platform [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4870028-mp-materials-miner-trying-to-become-contracted-us-magnet-platform]
* REMX: Don't Overestimate The Size Of The Rare Earths Market And Strength Of Geopolitical Tailwinds [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4868185-remx-dont-overestimate-size-of-rare-earths-market-and-strength-of-geopolitical-tailwinds]
* Trump eyes scaling back tariffs on steel, aluminum goods - report [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4551717-trump-eyes-scaling-back-tariffs-on-steel-aluminum-goods]
* CME weighs launching first-ever rare earth futures contract - Reuters [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4550802-cme-weighs-launching-first-ever-rare-earth-futures-contract-reuters]