STRATEGIC Minerals Act would increase U.S. supply of critical minerals essential for energy and national security technologies
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Todd Young, Chris Coons, and John Cornyn reintroduced their bipartisan Securing Trade and Resources for Advanced Technology, Economic Growth, and International Commerce (STRATEGIC) Minerals Act to strengthen America’s critical minerals supply chain by expanding trade with international partners.
This December, China announced that they would immediately block the export of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the U.S. These minerals are essential to the U.S. defense industry, clean energy, and advanced technologies like microchips.
“Critical minerals are key to our clean energy future and American innovation,” said Hickenlooper. “China currently controls the supply chain for many of these essential resources. Our international allies will help us diversify our critical mineral supply and strengthen our national security.”
“Our nation depends on critical minerals for everything from consumer goods to defense technologies, and relying on foreign adversaries for these materials is a national security vulnerability we cannot afford,” said Young. “Negotiating more trade agreements specific to critical minerals with trusted partners will help shore up our supply of these resources, protect American interests, and strengthen our national security.”
“If America is to remain a superpower, we need resilient supply chains for critical minerals— and that means strong relationships with reliable trading partners around the world,” said Coons. “The STRATEGIC Minerals Act will help us achieve that goal, and it’s one more way Congress is doing its part to position the U.S. to produce the technologies that will define the rest of the 21st century.”
“China dominates the critical minerals supply chain, which leaves America vulnerable to national security risks,” said Cornyn. “By shoring up America’s critical minerals supply chain, this legislation would increase our competitiveness on the world stage, reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries, and foster greater trade with trusted allies.”
Critical minerals are essential for U.S. technologies including smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines. Experts warn that U.S. dependence on China for these critical minerals poses a significant risk to national security. This legislation addresses these challenges by building up domestic processing and establishing a diverse network of trade alliances that protect U.S. critical mineral supply chains.
Specifically, the Strategic Minerals Act would:
- Authorize the president to negotiate specialized trade agreements for critical minerals
- Set trade negotiation objectives aiming to reduce or eliminate trade barriers with allies
- Prohibit critical minerals negotiations with countries designated as non-market economies unless approved by a joint resolution of Congress
- Require the president to consult with Congress before negotiations, detailing objectives, potential impacts, and ensuring legislative oversight
- Expand U.S. funding access to foreign critical minerals projects by amending the Defense Production Act
In the 118th Congress, Hickenlooper introduced several bills to bolster U.S. energy independence and support the transition to renewable energy, including:
- Critical Materials Future Act, which seeks to establish a pilot program for the Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical mineral processing projects.
- National Critical Minerals Council Act, which establishes a National Critical Minerals Council to develop and implement a national critical mineral strategy and coordinate our federal investments and research.
- Unearth Innovation Act, which creates a Mining and Mineral Innovation Program within the Department of Energy to drive the responsible production of domestic critical minerals, with a focus on minimizing the environmental impact of mining.
- Global Strategy for Securing Critical Minerals Act, which works to ensure that the U.S., its allies, and global partners can count on a diverse and secure end-to-end supply of critical minerals.
- Enhancing Public-Private Sharing on Manipulative Adversary Practices in Critical Minerals Projects Act, which directs the intelligence community to develop a strategy to improve information sharing with private sector companies regarding foreign adversaries’ attempts to thwart U.S. involvement in critical minerals, energy generation, and storage projects.
- Critical Minerals Security Act which directs the Department of the Interior to evaluate the global supply and ownership of critical minerals and make it easier for the U.S. to establish stable supply chains with international allies.
Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.
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