Core Viewpoint - The Trump administration is abandoning plans to provide minimum price guarantees for critical mineral projects in the U.S., acknowledging insufficient congressional funding and the complexities of market pricing [1][2]. Group 1: Government Policy Changes - The U.S. Senate committee is reviewing the price floor previously granted to MP Materials, indicating a shift away from prior commitments to the industry [1]. - Senior officials from the Trump administration informed mining executives that their projects must demonstrate financial independence without government price support [1][2]. - The U.S. Department of Energy stated that it is not in a position to support price floors, contradicting earlier assurances [2][3]. Group 2: Market Reactions - Following the news, Australian rare earth stocks, including Lynas Rare Earths, experienced significant declines, with shares dropping over 10% [2]. - Analysts suggest that the sell-off in rare earth stocks may be overdone, as the U.S. is still committed to supporting the establishment of a critical mineral supply chain outside of China [3]. Group 3: Future Implications - The abandonment of price floors does not eliminate the possibility of other supportive measures, such as stockpiling, equity investments, and localization requirements [5]. - Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of congressional authorization for price guarantees, which may hinder future government support for mineral projects [6].
美股稀土板块政策红利终结?传特朗普政府正逐步取消关键矿产“价格下限”保障