Trump Invokes Defense Law on Phosphorus, Herbicide Supplies (1)

President Donald Trump signed an order aimed at protecting domestic supplies of elemental phosphorus used by the US military and glyphosate-based herbicides common in US agricultural production, according to a White House official.

The executive order, which Trump signed on Wednesday, invokes the Defense Production Act to protect domestic supply chains of both materials. Elemental phosphorus is processed into white phosphorus, which can be used in military munitions or altered further for agricultural uses.

“The order finds that any interruption of supply of either of these critical materials could leave our defense industrial base and food supply vulnerable to ...