The Oval Office blowup between President Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelinsky may have grabbed headlines, but it hasn’t shifted the fundamental reality of America’s mineral needs. The U.S. is rich in critical minerals essential for technology and defense, and it’s high time we start mining them. This isn’t just about economic growth; it’s about national security and reducing dependency on foreign suppliers, particularly China.
Melissa ‘Mel’ Sanderson, board director of American Rare Earths, puts it bluntly: “Mining those resources could significantly contribute to ensuring that the U.S. has the critical materials needed for our technology and defense industries, freeing us from China’s current lock on the market.” The U.S. Geological Survey has identified 50 minerals critical to America’s manufacturing capabilities, including cobalt, graphite, lithium, titanium, and uranium. Ukraine, incidentally, has significant reserves of these and the rare earth elements, which are crucial in the technology supply chain. Despite their name, rare earth elements aren’t actually rare; they’re just rarely found in economically viable concentrations.
The real challenge lies in processing these minerals for commercial use. China, which produces 60% of the world’s rare earths, processes nearly 90%, giving it a near monopoly. Pini Althaus, founder of USA Rare Earth, emphasizes that the U.S. must invest heavily in both exploration and downstream processing capabilities to break this dependency. However, the U.S. often hinders its own progress. Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, points out that the Biden administration has taken actions that impede access to domestic supplies of critical minerals. For instance, the Department of the Interior reversed its approval of Alaska’s Ambler Access Project, which would have provided access to deposits of cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements.
The permitting process in the U.S. is notoriously slow and costly. An S&P Global report found it takes 29 years for a U.S. mine to go from discovery to production, the second longest timeline in the world. Federal regulators can return to mining companies with duplicative and repetitive questions at any time during the permitting process, adding millions to production costs. This bureaucratic maze doesn’t even account for state and local government actions. For example, Maine’s mining laws prevent the extraction of one of the world’s largest known lithium deposits, despite lithium’s vital role in modern battery production.
Washington seems to be waking up to these issues. Trump’s executive order in January aimed to encourage rare earth mineral development and strengthen supply chains. Althaus suggests creating a critical minerals task force or a czar to develop a national strategy, recommending Vice President JD Vance for the role. Congress is also considering permitting reform. Last year, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the Energy Permitting Reform Act, which would impose a two-year permitting timeline for mineral, traditional, and renewable energy projects. Sanderson hopes the current Congress will resurrect these bills or craft new ones to unleash America’s mining potential.
National security is another compelling reason to boost domestic mining and processing capacity. China and Russia’s dominance in critical mineral supply chains gives them leverage over America’s allies and assets for adversaries. The Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy recommends incentivizing domestic mining production and permitting reform to increase competitiveness. Nolan agrees, stating, “American competitiveness, national security and our advanced energy ambitions rest on our ability to build the secure, responsible mineral supply chains we know must have.”
This news shapes the development of the mining sector by highlighting the urgent need for domestic mineral production. It challenges the status quo by exposing the inefficiencies and bureaucratic hurdles that hinder U.S. mining efforts. It sparks debate on the necessity of permitting reform and the potential benefits of a national strategy for critical mineral development. The sector must now grapple with these issues and push for changes that will secure America’s mineral future.