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U.S. President Donald Trump is on a mission to find critical minerals wherever they may be, and countries around the world are lining up to deliver them.

Critical minerals and rare earths have underpinned many of Trump’s foreign-policy moves in his second term, from peace deals to tariff threats. It’s easy to see why: The commodities, around 50 of which are considered vital to U.S. security by the U.S. Geological Survey, are indispensable raw materials in many advanced military technologies including missiles and fighter jets. The problem is that China accounts for the vast majority of rare earth and critical mineral production and processing, a stranglehold it has been increasingly willing to weaponize in trade negotiations.

U.S. President Donald Trump is on a mission to find critical minerals wherever they may be, and countries around the world are lining up to deliver them.

Critical minerals and rare earths have underpinned many of Trump’s foreign-policy moves in his second term, from peace deals to tariff threats. It’s easy to see why: The commodities, around 50 of which are considered vital to U.S. security by the U.S. Geological Survey, are indispensable raw materials in many advanced military technologies including missiles and fighter jets. The problem is that China accounts for the vast majority of rare earth and critical mineral production and processing, a stranglehold it has been increasingly willing to weaponize in trade negotiations.

Several nations have stepped up to help Washington hedge against that dominance—and help themselves in the process by currying favor with Trump.

Trump’s........

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