Trump Administration Plans to Use Pentagon AI Model to Set Critical-Mineral Reference Prices

Gallium and germanium are widely used in semiconductors, defense systems and advanced electronics, while China has long dominated global supplies and market pricing. The Trump administration therefore views critical-mineral prices as a national security and trade issue and plans to have the U.S. Department of Defense, or Pentagon, establish a cost benchmark insulated from distortions caused by low-price dumping. The benchmark would inform procurement, tariffs and supply-chain policy.

The latest proposal calls for using OPEN, an AI model developed by the Pentagon, to estimate reference prices for gallium, germanium and other minerals based on production costs including mining, processing and transportation. The estimates would support U.S. trade strategy toward China. The project is scheduled to be transferred to a nonprofit organization for testing in 2027, but the government has not disclosed an exact transfer date, budget or formal pricing timetable.