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Drilling Value in the Silver State
A new federal report reveals a growing vulnerability in America’s supply chains, showing increased dependence on foreign sources for critical minerals essential for defense, technology, and clean energy.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) annual Mineral Commodity Summaries for 2025, published Friday, found that the United States was 100% reliant on imports for 16 different non-fuel mineral commodities last year. This marks an increase from 15 commodities in 2024. Furthermore, the U.S. depended on imports for more than half of its apparent consumption of 54 minerals, up from 46 the previous year.
The 16 wholly import-dependent minerals include arsenic, cesium, fluorspar, gallium, natural graphite, indium, manganese, natural mica, niobium, rubidium, scandium, tantalum, titanium sponge, and yttrium—most of which are on the USGS critical minerals list—as well as asbestos and strontium. An additional 20 critical minerals had a net import reliance greater than 50%, though this figure is down from 28 in 2024.
The report underscores China’s continued grip on key segments of the global minerals market. China remains a primary supplier for many U.S. critical mineral imports, furnishing nearly half of imported arsenic and graphite, 55% of antimony, and 70% of rare earth elements.
“This report underscores just how hard it is to put a dent in China’s decades-long strategy to dominate the world’s minerals markets,” said Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association.
Canada is another leading supplier, providing aluminum, gallium, potash, and zinc. For copper and silver—recently added to the USGS critical minerals list—Chile and Mexico are the top sources, respectively.
The findings come as the U.S. government intensifies efforts to build a critical minerals supply chain independent of China. Earlier this week, the Trump administration unveiled plans for a $12 billion strategic stockpile. Vice President JD Vance followed by announcing an initiative to forge a preferential trade bloc with allies.
However, establishing domestic production faces significant hurdles. Nolan highlighted a major bottleneck: “We have an administration and Congress that have united around the need to de-risk our supply chains and reshore minerals production and processing, but it still takes an average of 29 years to bring a mine online in the U.S.”
“Quick action by the administration has been key in jumpstarting domestic mining efforts,” he added, “but we need Congress to act on permitting reform to create the kind of lasting certainty that mining companies need in order to make long-term investments in U.S. projects.”
The USGS report serves as a stark reminder that despite bipartisan policy ambitions, the path to mineral supply chain security remains long and fraught with challenges.
