In March 2017, hearings in the House and Senate focused on the U.S.’ increased mineral dependence and looked at opportunities to improve the domestic supply chain in order to boost American infrastructure revitalization. President Trump has already signaled an interest in using American-made materials to rebuild or expand our roads, airports, railroads and pipelines.
Dr. Nigel Steward, managing director at Rio Tinto, testified the House Natural Resources Subcommittee’s hearing on “The Importance of Domestically Sourced Raw Materials for Infrastructure Projects.” Steward noted that minerals and the capability to convert them into metals are fundamental to infrastructure projects that are dependent on a reliable supply of essential materials and parts, including copper, gold, silver and molybdenum — the very metals Rio Tinto mines produce.
Copper is widely used in electrical cables, wires, switches and plumbing. In fact, 43 percent of U.S. copper goes to the construction industry. Molybdenum alloy steels are used in large projects like bridges and skyscrapers. Silver and gold are integral parts of energy infrastructure, including solar panels.
Rio Tinto stands ready to supply the raw materials needed to make American infrastructure great again, and move our current ASCE D+ rating to an A+.