US Plans More Stakes in Minerals Companies, Trump Official Says

The US government plans to take more equity stakes in critical minerals companies, a White House official said Thursday, calling the once-rare move necessary to counter China’s dominance in the raw materials used in everything from semiconductors to MRI machines.

“I think they’re the norm from our perspective,” said Jarrod Agen, executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council, speaking at a forum in Washington. “There is a broad scope of different companies who are coming to us. They’re making the right case.”

Jarrod Agen

Photographer: John Lamparski/Getty Images

Critical minerals such as gallium and cobalt are used in products ranging from iPhones to ...