Executive Order 14415

Securing America's Defense Supply Chains and Ensuring Domestic Acquisition of Critical Materials

Signed July 20, 2026, printed at 91 FR 46693. 6 sections of substance, 2,494 words.

In plain English

This order is about defense supplies. It says key materials should be bought here. It ends most waivers by January 1, 2027.

Read it at the Federal Register →

Sec. 1. Policy

The United States military is the most effective and powerful fighting force on the planet. It fields the most advanced weapons systems and technologies in the world, utilizing cutting edge equipment to dominate the modern battlefield. To continue this dominance in an era of renewed great power competition, the United States must secure its supply chains against physical, cyber, and economic subversion. It is the policy of the United States that not only the finished equipment deployed by our military, but also the critical materials and components necessary to manufacture, maintain, sustain, and repair that equipment, are sourced domestically or from allied nations. Despite the longstanding prohibition on the use of sensitive materials sourced from geopolitical adversaries, defense contractors have historically under-prioritized domestic production and resilience. My Administration

In plain English

This states the policy. It calls the military here the most powerful in the world. It says its gear is the most advanced. It says supply chains must be secured. Physical, cyber and economic threats are named. It says finished gear must come from here or from allies. Key materials and parts must too. It says contractors have not made that a priority.

Sec. 2. Restricting Waivers

(a) On January 1, 2027, the Secretary of War (Secretary) and the Secretaries of the military departments shall cease to issue waivers under 10 U.S.C. 4872(c)(1) for the acquisition of covered materials under 10 U.S.C. 4872, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section. Waivers issued under 10 U.S.C. 4872(e) will only be issued as provided in subsection (b) of this section or following a request from the Secretary or the Secretary of the military department to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. (b) The Secretary may continue to issue waivers under 10 U.S.C. 4872(c)(1) or (e) that would otherwise be prohibited under subsection (a) of this section for the acquisition of covered materials under 10 U.S.C. 4872, provided that the prime contractor or subcontractor submits to the Secretary or his designee a formal mitigation plan, accepted by the Secretary or

In plain English

This limits waivers. Two laws allow them for certain sensitive materials. From January 1, 2027, the war secretary must stop granting them. The service chiefs must stop too. One path remains open. A contractor may file a formal plan to cut the risk. The secretary must accept that plan. Only then may a waiver still issue.

Sec. 3. Critical Supply Chain Mapping and Illumination

(a) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall develop policy and implementation guidance to require all prime contractors and subcontractors at any tier to map and illuminate, as further described in subsection (b) of this section, critical supply chains for all Department of War acquisitions that support, implicate, or relate to United States national security, as determined by the Secretary, from raw materials to the end use products such contractors deliver to the Department of War. Within 90 days of completion, the Secretary shall promulgate implementing regulations, and such regulations shall seek to ensure that small businesses, non-traditional defense companies, and new entrant firms are able to comply with the intent of this section without being unduly burdened by these regulations, as well as ensure that these regulations are consistent with all statutory

In plain English

This maps supply chains. The war secretary has 180 days for guidance. All contractors must map their chains. Subcontractors at every tier are covered. Only buys tied to security are included. The map runs from raw material to finished product. Rules follow within 90 days. Small firms must not be overburdened. New entrants count too.

Sec. 4. Qualification of Domestic Sources

(a) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall initiate regulatory action to: (i) identify, in his sole discretion, all existing acquisitions by the Department of War that support, implicate, or relate to United States national security; and (ii) require contractors who, in delivering the identified acquisitions, rely on supply chains that include material or components supplied by an unreliable foreign supplier, to, as soon as possible, consistent with law, safety, mission requirements, and existing contract requirements, qualify and utilize an alternative source for the material or components supplied by the unreliable foreign supplier, except in cases where no such alternative source is available. (b) A contractor's failure to qualify an alternative source under subsection (a) of this section shall constitute grounds, consistent with law and existing contract

In plain English

This finds new suppliers. The war secretary has 180 days to start rules. It must name buys tied to security. Contractors relying on an unreliable foreign supplier must find another source. They must qualify it and use it. Speed matters, within law and mission needs. The only excuse is that no other source exists. Failure has consequences.

Sec. 5. Reporting

(a) Every 6 months from the date of this order until January 1, 2028, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs describing the actions taken pursuant to this order. This report shall include: (i) any continued use of waivers by prime contractors or subcontractors under 10 U.S.C. 4872; (ii) the number of mitigation plans accepted under section 2(b) of this order and the progress made by relevant contractors to complete the commitments outlined in their relevant mitigation plans; and (iii) progress made on implementing the regulations required by sections 3 and 4 of this order, as well as the acquisitions to be covered by those regulations. [[Page 46696]] (b) The report may include a classified annex if the Secretary determines that national security considerations so require.

In plain English

This sets reports. One is due every six months. They run until January 1, 2028. They go to a White House security aide. Each covers steps taken under the order. Continued use of waivers is reported. So is the number of risk plans accepted. Progress on those plans counts. A secret annex is allowed.

Sec. 6.

Every order carries this. It is not what the order does.

Project Vault and U.S. Funded Sources. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve (also known as ``Project Vault'') for which the Export-Import Bank of the United States is a lender or the acquisition by a contractor or subcontractor of critical minerals or components produced by a foreign project or other transaction financed, guaranteed, or insured by the Export-Import Bank of the United States or the United States International Development Finance Corporation. (b) The sale of critical materials or components by Project Vault to a contractor or subcontractor shall not be construed as a credit sale of a defense article or service for purposes of 12 U.S.C. 635(b)(6)(A). (c) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect the acquisition by a contractor or subcontractor of critical

In plain English

This carves out one program. It says the order does not change a federal store of key minerals. That store is called Project Vault.

Sec. 7. Definitions

For purposes of this order: (a) The term ``critical supply chain'' means all tiers of suppliers and subcontractors providing goods, materials, systems, software, or services that are essential to contract deliverables, mission assurance, security, or resilience, as defined by the Secretary. (b) The term ``indentured Bill of Materials'' shall mean all the components, parts, equipment, software, and materials back to the origin of raw materials collected during the design, development, and initial fielding process of a system or end item. This term includes data for maintenance planning, logistics design requirements, reliability and maintainability, system safety, maintenance engineering, cost, cataloging, item management, and in-service feedback. The indentured Bill of Materials will require a standard format, content, and data pursuant to contract data requirement list data item

In plain English

This defines two terms. A critical supply chain covers every tier of supplier. Goods and materials count. So do systems and software. So do services. They must be needed for the contract or the mission. The other term is a full parts list. It runs back to raw materials. Maintenance and cost data are part of it.

Sec. 8. General Provisions

Every order carries this. It is not what the order does.

(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. (d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of War. <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT> (Presidential Sig.) THE WHITE HOUSE, July 20, 2026. [FR Doc.

In plain English

This is the closing clause that nearly every order carries. It says the order does not change what the law already allows. It also says no one can sue to enforce it.

How this order is quoted

Each section is quoted as the order prints it, under its own number and heading. Executive orders are United States government works and are not under copyright. Long sections are cut at a sentence and the whole order is a click away.