Input Stories

Without a strong copper supply chain, manufacturing in the United States cannot reach its full potential, the NAM recently told Congress.

What’s going on: “Copper is a critical material for manufacturing—both as a raw material input to products and industrial machinery and to the energy manufacturing, generation and delivery that manufacturers help build and rely upon for their operations,” the NAM told the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources ahead of a Wednesday hearing on copper.

• Copper is particularly vital for energy products like transformers and wiring, the NAM noted.
• To continue to supply manufacturers with the copper they need, the U.S. must both expand its domestic production and ensure a robust, stable supply chain of the mineral, the NAM said.

What should be done: Congress can support manufacturers by enacting certain national and international policies, the NAM told the subcommittee. These include:

• Addressing “unreasonably long timeframes” for land- and water-use permits under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Clean Water Act;
• Ensuring that permitting deadlines, page counts, the designation of a lead federal agency and categorical exclusion use are followed across agencies;
• Addressing critically needed reforms to judicial review under the National Environmental Policy Act; and
• Securing a plurilateral agreement with international partners “to generate new pipelines for critical minerals projects overseas and secure diversified access to vital manufacturing inputs sourced globally.”

The final say: “Manufacturers strongly support the Natural Resources Committee’s efforts to champion reliable and secure copper supply chains to ensure manufacturers in the United States can meet their energy needs and remain competitive in global markets,” NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen and NAM Senior Director of Energy and Resources Policy Mike Davin concluded.