The United States has begun plans to boost domestic production of 35 critical minerals including uranium, cobalt, and lithium, in pursuance of President Donald Trump’s America First policy to hit Africa’s mineral export very soon.
The US said the 35 minerals are critical materials used in basic manufacturing, batteries, and electronics.
In the full list are: Aluminum (bauxite), antimony, arsenic, barite, beryllium, bismuth, cesium, chromium, cobalt, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, graphite (natural), hafnium, helium, indium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, niobium, platinum group metals, potash, rare earth elements group, rhenium, rubidium, scandium, strontium, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium.
America’s Interior Department has revealed that the country aimed at reducing its reliance on foreign suppliers to boost domestic production.
Meanwhile, the move echoes America’s ramping up of shale oil production during Barack Obama’s era that broke OPEC’s control of the crude oil market and depressed prices.
It was the department’s first step to carry out a December presidential order to break U.S. dependence on foreign minerals.
The administration disclosed that it identifies new domestic sources of critical minerals; increase domestic exploration, mining, and recycling; give miners and producers electronic access for better mapping and geological data, and streamline leasing to permit new mines.
A report says raising U.S. output of non-fuel minerals and fossil fuel resources is part of the Trump administration on America First policy, aimed at boosting U.S. exports while curbing imports using tariffs and other protectionist measures.
