Policy and Legal

“Addressing access to critical minerals must be a top priority for the Department of the Interior to increase manufacturing productivity, lower energy costs, spur greater domestic refining, drive new product development and strengthen our global competitiveness,” the NAM told the department this week.

What’s going on: The NAM filed comments this week on the U.S. Geological Survey’s draft 2025 Critical Minerals List, commending the agency for adding copper and potash while urging further action in designating key materials that underpin manufacturing in America.

Why it matters: Manufacturers rely heavily on critical materials and minerals to make a wide array of products.

• These include aircraft and defense systems, automotive parts and vehicles, electric grid components and other energy technologies, robotics and industrial automation, personal electronics and more.

The win: The NAM has long advocated the addition of copper to the USGS list, calling this action a clear win for manufacturers.  

• “Without a robust copper supply chain in the short and medium terms, manufacturing in America will not be able to reach its potential,” the NAM said.
• Additions of potash, silicon, silver, lead and rhenium are also welcome—as these minerals are critical to unleashing domestic energy dominance and reducing our reliance on imports of essential materials.

The minerals: “Manufacturers rely on a sustainable and reliable supply chain of the critical minerals that are listed within the USGS’s Critical Minerals List,” the NAM said.

• Aluminum plays a vital role in helping the U.S. meet its surging demand for energy, which is driven by data center growth and increased electrification. The NAM emphasized that aluminum is “a key input in energy storage technologies, transmission, transformers and commercial and residential wiring, all of which will be critical to this administration’s strategy to power American energy dominance.”
• Lithium is also critical to energy and national security in the U.S. “The NAM supports maintaining lithium on the USGS Critical Minerals List and would urge continued engagement with the industry to understand the implications of disruption to or negligence of lithium supply chains,” the NAM said.

But also: The NAM urged the USGS to go further by adding phosphate rock, boron, molybdenum, tellurium, arsenic and electrical steel to ensure the Trump administration can respond to the immediate needs of the country as they arise.

Need for alignment: The NAM emphasized the need for alignment with the Department of Energy’s list to eliminate confusion and ensure consistent access to federal programs. It commended the administration last month when DOI announced the additions of copper and potash to its list.

• “While the proposed action to update the USGS list will indeed bring the two lists into greater alignment, further actions can be taken to ensure all minerals and materials designated by either DOI or DOE will have the same supply chain protections, incentives and streamlined permitting,” the NAM said.
• These further actions include coordinating and data sharing to mitigate confusion, as well as working with Congress to issue a Statement of Administration Policy in support of the Mineral Consistency Act, which would eliminate the disparities between the two lists.

What’s next: As part of the administration’s goals to expand manufacturing capacity in the U.S., the NAM’s comments will help shape how the government secures critical mineral supply chains for years to come.