President Trump has signed a memorandum invoking the Defense Production Act to ramp up domestic production of munitions and critical minerals. The move comes as concerns mount over weapon stockpile shortages tied to military engagements involving Iran.

The memorandum, dated May 23, 2025, specifically triggers Section 303 of the DPA, which allows the government to waive certain regulatory requirements that would otherwise slow down the expansion of production capacity.

What the Defense Production Act actually does

The DPA was enacted in 1950, right at the start of the Korean War. Its core purpose is straightforward: give the federal government authority to prioritize contracts, allocate materials, and compel industries to support national defense.

Section 303, the specific provision Trump is using here, authorizes the president to create, maintain, and expand domestic industrial capabilities for national defense. The waiver authority means the administration doesn’t have to go through the usual bureaucratic approval process for each individual production expansion.

This isn’t the first time the DPA has made headlines in recent years. It was famously used during the COVID-19 pandemic to boost ventilator and PPE production. More recently, it has been invoked to accelerate fossil fuel production in response to war-driven disruptions in global oil markets.

The stockpile problem

Military engagements connected to the Iran conflict have reportedly consumed American weapons at a pace that could take over three years to fully restore inventories. That timeline assumes production actually accelerates, which is exactly what this memorandum is designed to ensure.

Advanced weapon systems are a particular concern. Tomahawk cruise missiles, precision-guided munitions, and other high-end ordnance are not the kind of thing you can spin up on an assembly line overnight.

The administration has signaled that some defense contractors have underperformed on existing commitments. Reports suggest these firms may receive DPA-related remedies, a polite way of saying the government could use its authority to compel faster delivery or redirect resources.

Indications point toward a quadrupling of production lines for key munitions within the national defense framework.

Critical minerals enter the equation

The memorandum doesn’t stop at bullets and bombs. Critical minerals, the raw materials essential for both defense manufacturing and the broader technology sector, are also covered under the DPA invocation.

The US has long been dependent on foreign sources, particularly China, for many of the minerals used in everything from missile guidance systems to fighter jet engines. Rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt, and other materials sit at the foundation of modern military hardware.