Key Points
Announcements on critical mineral trade agreements could occur "literally" any day.
Trump's 180-day agreement deadline to reduce reliance on China has ended.
Risk-averse investors can also gain exposure through more diversified ETFs.
The CEO of NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ: NB) just appeared on CNBC and delivered some big news to investors. That has investors jumping into the U.S.-based miner's stock today.
NioCorp stock jumped 12% at the open after CEO Mark Smith's appearance on Squawk Box Asia last night. Shares remained 10.7% higher as of 11:30 a.m. ET. Here's what he said.
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Critical mineral deal coming
On Jan. 14, 2026, President Trump signed a Section 232 proclamation instructing the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate agreements with trading partners to address the potential national security threat posed by the importation of processed critical minerals.
The president imposed a 180-day deadline that has now ended, after which he could take further action to ensure national security. In his interview with CNBC, the NioCorp CEO noted that discussions with U.S. allies are ongoing to secure access to rare-earth and critical minerals.
He perhaps surprised investors, though, when Smith said Japan, the EU, and Mexico are currently far along in discussions with the U.S., with deals potentially being announced "literally any day."
NioCorp has been assessing the possibility of producing several magnetic rare-earth elements from its Elk Creek Project, and Smith said the company is committed to pursuing the project. Any price floor will further enhance financing and returns on that project, Smith said.
That has investors jumping into this speculative name today. For investors who don't wish to put all their eggs in one basket, there are also several rare-earth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to consider.
Howard Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.