To break China’s strategic grip on critical minerals, the US must remove impediments, streamline issuance of permits and marshal capital to mine resources from the sea floor, witnesses told Congress on Tuesday.
Advertisement
The hearing by a House Committee on Natural Resources subcommittee comes as US President Donald Trump – known for his “drill, baby, drill” mantra – promotes the harvesting of oil and minerals with minimal regard for environmental or foreign policy costs.
“The Trump administration have worked tirelessly to unleash America’s natural resources and restore our nation’s energy and mineral dollars,” said Representative Paul Gosar, the Arizona Republican who heads the energy and mineral resources subcommittee, adding that “nothing pleases our foreign adversaries, like China”, more than slow US progress.
Since returning to the White House 100 days ago, Trump, a supporter of extractive industries, has tried to pressure Ukraine to pay for US military aid by handing over up to US$500 billion in rare earth minerals; teased a takeover of Greenland driven in part by its prodigious reserves of zinc, lead, gold, rare earth elements, copper and oil; and signed an executive order making it easier for companies to mine the deep sea floor.
In 2020 during his first term, he signed an executive order encouraging exploitation of moon and asteroid minerals.
Advertisement
Deep-sea minerals have become increasingly sought after as China has dominated the critical-minerals sector for profit and geopolitical benefit.