WASHINGTON, D.C. – The USGS today released its annual Mineral Commodity Summaries report, which found the U.S. continues to be 100 percent import reliant for 15 minerals, and is reliant on imports for more than one-half of the U.S. apparent consumption for 46 nonfuel mineral commodities. The Biden administration highlighted the need to reduce our dependence on China for mineral commodities yet, four years later, China continues to be the top supplier of minerals needed for our economic and national security.
“We could be producing most of these minerals here at home—under world-leading environmental, labor and safety standards—yet China remains a massive threat to our supply chains and has boldly reminded the U.S. just how deep our dependence runs,” said Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association (NMA), referring to China’s late 2024 export restrictions on antimony, gallium and germanium, and tightening on exports of graphite to the U.S. “While our elected officials have been united around their concern over foreign influence and manipulation of our supply chains, that concern has yet to translate into concrete action to address it. The mining industry is ready to work with the Trump administration and Congress to help level the playing field against Chinese mineral extortion and identify and decisively address the self-imposed hurdles to domestic mining that are blocking U.S. supply chain security.”
Key points from the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries:
- China was the leading producing country for 30 of 44 critical minerals.
- China and Canada were the leading source of mineral commodities with a greater than 50 percent import reliance providing 21 of these minerals; in 2023 that number was 24.
- In 2024, the United States was 100 percent net import reliant for 15 minerals, unchanged from 2023, and imports made up more than one-half of the U.S. apparent consumption for 46 nonfuel mineral commodities, down slightly from 49 in 2023.
- Of the 50 mineral commodities identified in the “2022 Final List of Critical Minerals,” the United States was 100% net import reliant for 12, unchanged from 2023, and an additional 28 (down from 29 in 2023) had a net import reliance of greater than 50 percent.
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