THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

President signs Section 232 proclamation directing U.S. trade and commerce officials to negotiate PCMDP import agreements

True

Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.

Interesting: 0/0 • Support: 0/0Log in to vote
directive

Proclamation signed by the President directing the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate agreements on PCMDP imports.

Source summary
President Trump signed a proclamation under Section 232 directing the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate agreements with trading partners to address imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products (PCMDPs). The Administration says the move responds to a Section 232 finding that current import patterns threaten national security, and it will promote price floors, require Commerce to report on further action, and allow the President to take other measures if agreements are not reached within 180 days. The fact sheet emphasizes declining U.S. critical mineral production and references prior executive actions and international agreements to diversify supply chains.
View original article →
Latest fact check

The January 14, 2026 presidential proclamation "Adjusting Imports of Processed Critical Minerals and Their Derivative Products into the United States" is issued explicitly "under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962." In its operative provisions, the proclamation states that "the Secretary and the United States Trade Representative (Trade Representative) … shall jointly pursue negotiation of agreements … to address the threatened impairment of the national security with respect to imports of PCMDPs from any country." This matches the statement that the President signed a Section 232 proclamation ordering the Commerce Secretary and U.S. Trade Representative to jointly negotiate agreements concerning imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products.

The verdict is True because the primary White House document shows that, pursuant to Section 232, President Trump signed a proclamation directing the Commerce Secretary and USTR to jointly negotiate such agreements on PCMDP imports, exactly as claimed.

Sources

Timeline

  1. Update · Jan 15, 2026, 05:13 AMTrue
    The January 14, 2026 presidential proclamation "Adjusting Imports of Processed Critical Minerals and Their Derivative Products into the United States" is issued explicitly "under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962." In its operative provisions, the proclamation states that "the Secretary and the United States Trade Representative (Trade Representative) … shall jointly pursue negotiation of agreements … to address the threatened impairment of the national security with respect to imports of PCMDPs from any country." This matches the statement that the President signed a Section 232 proclamation ordering the Commerce Secretary and U.S. Trade Representative to jointly negotiate agreements concerning imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products. The verdict is True because the primary White House document shows that, pursuant to Section 232, President Trump signed a proclamation directing the Commerce Secretary and USTR to jointly negotiate such agreements on PCMDP imports, exactly as claimed.
  2. Original article · Jan 14, 2026
    View article
Back to Countdowns

Comments

Only logged-in users can comment.
Loading…