PHOTO: BLOOMBERG[NEW YORK] US President Donald Trump touted US$3 billion in US investments in critical minerals mining at a meeting on Friday (Aug 7) with top industry executives aimed at weaning the US off supply chains dominated by China. The event showcased administration efforts to spur US critical minerals development and processing before a planned visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington in September. The federal government has already pledged more than US$10 billion of investments in a bid to jump-start nascent US markets for rare earths and permanent magnets. While the scale of the US critical minerals build-out is enormous, there have been serious challenges and slow progress in developing the domestic industry. The administration has also pushed to fund mining projects in Africa and South America in an effort to loosen Beijing’s grip on critical minerals.