House of Representatives passes the DOMINANCE Act to support critical minerals projects in partner countries and facilitate investment.
The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed the DOMINANCE Act. The bipartisan bill aims to strengthen the United States’ supply of critical minerals and reduce its dependence on China. The legislation was introduced by Republican Young Kim and Democrat Ami Bera.
The full name of the bill is the Developing Overseas Mineral Investments and New Allied Networks for Critical Energies Act. It calls for closer cooperation with allies and partner countries in building supply chains for critical minerals. As part of this effort, investments in overseas mineral projects and related infrastructure are to be facilitated. To achieve this, the legislation establishes several new institutions, including an Office of Energy Security Pacts within the U.S. Department of State. The office will coordinate the efforts of various agencies and institutions, including the Department of Energy, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the Export-Import Bank (EXIM), and the Department of Commerce.
In addition, the bill seeks to strengthen demand for minerals from alternative sources of supply, including through long-term supply and offtake agreements. It also includes measures to support workforce development and training for the mining sector in partner countries.
Support from Industry
Various organizations from the fields of national security, manufacturing, technology, energy, and public policy have voiced support for the legislation. The U.S. manufacturing association National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), for example, described the initiative as an important step toward building more resilient supply chains. According to the association, U.S. manufacturers depend more than ever on reliable access to critical minerals, while China’s dominance of supply chains represents a growing threat.
The DOMINANCE Act must now be approved by the Senate before it can be sent to the President for signature.
Part of a Broader Critical Minerals Push
The legislation is the latest in a series of measures aimed at strengthening the United States’ critical minerals supply. These include an executive order signed by President Donald Trump to accelerate domestic production of critical minerals through emergency measures. In recent months, direct government investments in companies along the critical minerals supply chain, including MP Materials and USA Rare Earth, have attracted particular attention.
Beitragsbild: iStock/GDArts
