Trump’s U.S. Mining Push Has a Big Problem
Foreign Policy
by Christina LuFebruary 19, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
President Trump has made a significant push to transform the United States into a mining power, aiming to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals. However, this ambitious effort faces a major hurdle: a severe shortage of skilled labor in the mining sector. Despite Trump's initiatives, such as investing in domestic mining companies and creating a $12 billion stockpile of critical minerals, experts warn that the U.S. lacks the necessary workforce to
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Originally published on Foreign Policy on 2/19/2026