(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
20 December 2017 | John Siciliano | Washington Examiner
“President Trump ordered the U.S. military and the Interior Department to take immediate action to “break” the nation’s dependence on Russian and Chinese supplies of critical minerals as a matter of national security.
“This dependency of the United States on foreign sources creates a strategic vulnerability for both its economy and military to adverse foreign government action, natural disaster, and other events that can disrupt supply of these key minerals,” read an executive order signed by the president on Wednesday.
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The order explained that the U.S. has the resources to end the unnecessary dependence on foreign sources of minerals, but must provide its miners with information necessary to begin mining and exploration of critical mineral deposits. This data would include new topography maps and other information on where the largest deposits of critical minerals can be found.
The order also noted that mining the nation’s own critical mineral resources has been hampered by permitting delays and the threat of litigation.
These mineral commodities include such metals such as Lithium, Manganese, Tin, and others that are critical to state-of-the-art electronics and missile guidance systems. Many of the mineral commodities listed by the U.S. Geological Survey are used in any number of consumer electronic devices like smart phones.
“The United States must not remain reliant on foreign competitors like Russia and China for the critical minerals needed to keep our economy strong and our country safe,” said Trump in a statement.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the issue is a “very real national security risk,” especially when it comes to “relying on foreign nations for the military’s needs to keep our soldiers and our homeland safe.”
The order directs Zinke and the Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to report back to the president with a list critical minerals within 60 days and disseminate it to the appropriate agencies. After the list is filed, the president’s Cabinet is ordered to present a strategic plan “to reduce the Nation’s reliance on critical minerals” within 180 days.
“It shall be the policy of the Federal Government to reduce the Nation’s vulnerability to disruptions in the supply of critical minerals, which constitutes a strategic vulnerability for the security and prosperity of the United States,” the president’s order stated.
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