Commentary Last month, President Biden began his tour of America’s electric vehicle supply chain, which brought him to Minnesota. While here, he talked about those who would love to “cede [the] clean energy future to China” and “make us dependent on overseas supply chains … and weaken energy security”—a curious statement provided our current EV…

Over the past several years, China’s powerful grip on rare earth elements has motivated action by Congress and multiple presidents. Millions in government funding went to an American rare earth and critical mineral refinery and a rare earth separation plant. Just last week, Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Penn.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) reintroduced a bill that…

China’s gains and losses from energy policies during Joe Biden’s presidency were a contested topic during an April 26 hearing of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee. “Until we increase U.S. capacity for critical mineral extraction and refining, increasing our reliance on renewable energy and EVs [electric vehicles] will…

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has indicated the United States needs to source more minerals domestically and from friendly nations in order to meet new demands for electric vehicles (EVs). The supply chain for minerals used in EV batteries is heavily controlled by China. Buttigieg testified during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday that the…

Australia and the United Kingdom have pledged to boost the global supply of critical minerals needed to power a cleaner world economy. Australia is the world’s top producer of raw lithium and other crucial ingredients for electric cars, new energy equipment and advanced communications. But with China dominating the supply of purified critical minerals and…

Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says there will be “lots of conversation” on the issue of critical minerals during U.S. President Joe Biden’s two-day visit to Canada that starts on March 23. “It’s an area that’s really important, and that is not just cobalt and lithium and graphite—it’s also things like uranium and nuclear fuel…

Depending on China for rare earth minerals puts the UK in a vulnerable position because the “entire future” of manufacturing is based on them, a select committee of MPs heard on Tuesday. Asked which UK sectors are most vulnerable because of China’s dominance in critical minerals, Jeff Townsend, founder of the Critical Minerals Association, told a Foreign…

The federal government will not be forcing Chinese state-investors to sell their substantial amounts of shares three of Canada’s largest mining companies, says Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, Reuters reports. Wilkinson made the comments during an interview with the news agency on March 7 at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto. The minister said…

The federal government is investing over $344 million into programs aimed at developing research, commercialization, and other initiatives in Canada’s critical minerals sector. Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson made the announcement on March 7, which follows his launching of the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy in December 2022 that included a total federal investment of up to $3.8 billion….

A Chinese-backed company’s attempt to increase its stake in a strategically vital rare earth producer has been blocked by the federal government. Yuxiao Fund, a Singapore-registered company, sought to increase its ownership in Northern Minerals from 9.9 percent to 19.9 percent but the move was stopped by Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who signed a prevention…