The Goverment Approach
Developing a comprehensive government approach to all critical minerals is complex, given the unique supply chains, pricing structures, and varying degrees of risk associated with dependence on certain countries—especially foreign entities of concern (FEOCs). To address this pressing national security issue, there is an urgent need for a targeted list of “strategic defense critical minerals.” This list would enable policymakers to prioritize actions that enhance resiliency for these minerals and reduce the significant global influence of FEOCs like China in the critical minerals supply chain.
Recognizing the vital role that critical minerals play across various industries—including electric vehicles, advanced technology, and defense systems—there is a need to identify those minerals that pose the greatest risk to U.S. national security.
Tactical Metals
The strategic defense critical minerals grouping identifies 12 minerals that are essential for defense applications: antimony, arsenic, bismuth, gallium, germanium, indium, natural graphite, rare earth elements, scandium, tantalum, tungsten, and yttrium.
These minerals are crucial not only for defense technologies such as missile systems and military aircraft but also form the backbone of semiconductor production that powers key sectors from communications to energy. Alarmingly, the U.S. is either fully or nearly reliant on imports for nine of these twelve strategic defense minerals, creating a significant vulnerability that could disrupt critical industries if supply is restricted or suddenly cut off due to various factors, including government export controls or geopolitical tensions.
Critical Minerals and Tactical Metals
Critical minerals are defined in Section 7002 of the Energy Act of 2020 as any non-fuel mineral, element, substance, or material that has a high risk of supply chain disruption and serves an essential function in one or more energy products. This definition also includes any mineral designated as critical by the Secretary of the Interior. The Energy Act established criteria for developing an updated critical minerals list that accounts for supply chain risks.
Currently, the U.S. government maintains three distinct lists related to critical minerals, managed by the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Each list is tailored to the specific missions of these agencies and provides valuable insights into U.S. import dependencies and sources. However, each list may include up to 50 critical minerals.
While these existing lists offer technical information, they do not specifically guide policymakers on which critical minerals pose the most immediate threats to U.S. economic and national security. There remains confusion regarding which minerals are most vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and warrant prioritization for executive and legislative action, particularly due to their importance in defense applications and the lack of diversified sourcing.
Antimony
Antimony is also included in a more specific “strategic defense critical minerals grouping, which identifies 12 minerals posing the greatest risk to U.S. national security. This underscores its particular importance in defense applications.
