Alcoa, Peabody Join Frenzy to Find Metals Coveted by Trump

From aluminum producers to coal miners, some of Americas biggest industrial companies are joining the rush to unearth key metals sought by the Trump administration.

Alcoa Corp. told investors Thursday it’s searching for critical minerals within bauxite waste piles from its mines around the world. The project is in early stages, Chief Executive Officer William Oplinger said at the company’s investor day, but it’s part of a wider plan to boost production of strategic metals beyond aluminum.

The comments followed similar remarks from coal miner Peabody Energy Corp., which is sampling material from its sites in search of ...