Summary

• Washington’s move to hire up to 400 critical minerals specialists at market-level pay underscores the growing strategic importance of rare earths and strategic metals to U.S. economic and national security priorities.
• A series of executive actions, trade initiatives and Project Vault investments show the U.S. is moving beyond policy announcements toward building long-term critical minerals capacity.
• With China dominating rare earth processing and demand rising from AI, electrification and defense, WisdomTree Efficient Rare Earth Plus Strategic Metals Fund offers diversified exposure to a powerful long-term supply-chain reshoring theme.

By Christopher Gannatti, CFA

On May 29, 2026, President Trump signed a memo authorizing federal agencies to hire up to 400 specialists in investment, engineering, finance and legal disciplines, specifically to advance the federal government's critical minerals investments. The pay