The Case for American Critical Mineral Production
In today’s international order, America’s economic independence and national security are only as strong as our control over the materials that power them. From smartphones to fighter jets, the United States depends on an increasingly fragile global supply chain for the critical minerals that increasingly shape both our economic and political future. These materials are no longer just components of our economy. Rather, they are the backbone of our defense systems, energy infrastructure, and microchips that facilitate our domestic innovation. Today, however, the CCP controls the vast majority of its global production and processing.
This dependency isn’t an accident either. It's the product of strategic maneuvering by Beijing abroad, and years of misplaced priorities and regulatory-happy policies at home. While key wins like President Trump’s trade deal with China this week are meaningful steps in the right direction, there is more to be done. Heavily subsidized by the CCP for decades, China’s domestic mineral industry has managed to establish itself as the global processing hub for the very materials the West now can’t live without.
The National Security Imperative & Our Path Forward
With the continued emphasis on critical mineral production and processing by China, the consequences of not fully developing our domestic capabilities compound each day. If the CCP decided tomorrow to restrict mineral exports, America’s industrial base would be crippled by supply-chain disruptions, disruptions that would not be easy to overcome. Unfortunately, this scenario isn’t hypothetical. China has already weaponized control of the rare earth supply chains against foes and allies alike, and would relish the chance to use its processing & manufacturing prowess against us. To allow our nation's fiercest rival the opportunity to take advantage of this cannot be allowed.
The good news? America is sitting atop vast untapped reserves of the very minerals we are currently scrambling to import. Across states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Alaska, there are projects ready to move forward that could secure our domestic supply of critical minerals for decades to come. Yet all too often, these efforts are stalled by a federal permitting process that prioritizes bureaucratic delay over strategic necessity. Early in his term, President Trump recognized the need to safeguard America’s critical minerals future and acted to break the cycle of dependence. Following through on that plan won’t require us to reinvent the wheel. Instead, we need to empower the industries that are prepared to safely and efficiently mine the resources that we already have.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the case of copper. Between manufacturing inputs, transportation uses, and grid upgrades, the domestic uses for the metal are endless, and the necessity for a stable, uninterrupted flow of copper should be considered table stakes for our economy to thrive moving forward. The metal is indispensable, and domestic demand is expected to balloon in the coming years. To deprive our economy of readily-accessible supplies of critical minerals such as copper would be akin to running an engine without gas. It simply can’t work. Nonetheless, our reliance on China for these minerals and the plethora of obstacles we’ve put in the way of domestic production have forced us to reckon with that possibility. This future, however, isn’t set in stone.
Mining projects all across the US are eager to begin production, but many have either been slowed, paused, or put on hold by the impassable regulatory and permitting obstacles that stand in their way. Take the New Range NorthMet and Twin Metals projects in northeastern Minnesota, for example. While ideological differences have prevented these two projects and others like them from starting to mine, their production capabilities are substantial and have the potential to be the very supply that prevents our economy from grinding to a halt. Luckily, advocates like Rep. Stauber of Minnesota’s 8th district, however, have continued the push. And with success stories like Eagle Mine in Big Bay, MI championed by Rep. Bergman in Michigan, there is a viable path forward. Mining projects across the US should stay optimistic.
Balancing Security and Stewardship
A common critique of those opposed to the mining of domestic minerals in the US is the environmental footprint, but this rationale ignores the practical realities of the alternative scenario. In America, we have the world’s strictest environmental and labor standards. Any mining project has to withstand countless tests and studies to ensure it has the proper permits and that its environmental impact is negligible. If any environmental harm is predicted, the project is all but dead-on-arrival. In these instances, opponents contend that environmental costs outweigh the benefits. But these minerals need to come from somewhere, and if they aren’t mined in the US, they will be elsewhere. Foes like China can be expected to pick up the slack, and certainly not in an environmentally-friendly way. Mining and processing practices in China emulate slave-labor conditions with little regard for the environmental impact. Pretending that outsourcing our mining somehow absolves us of environmental responsibility is a convenient fiction. In reality, such decisions are only bringing about more harm to the environment and further deepening our dependence on China.
Time for Action
America has everything we need to solve this problem within our borders. The resources, expertise, and technology needed can all be found in abundance in the US. What we truly lack, however, is the political will to prioritize the issue. While much remains to be done, the deal struck by President Trump with China this week – one that bodes incredibly well for the US – suggests the tide may very well be turning.