Task force to identify critical mineral supply chain risks and give appropriate recommendations.
A bill that sets out the implementation of a task force to strengthen critical minerals supply chains was passed by the United States Senate on Wednesday, with unanimous consent. Bill S. 1871—or the Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act— was first introduced by a bipartisan group of Senators and sponsored by Senator Gary Peters, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, in 2023. It is intended to increase cooperation and coordination between different levels of the U.S. government by forming a task force to safeguard the supply of critical minerals. According to a statement by Senator Peters, the background of the legislative push is China’s and “other adversarial countries’” dominance in the field. Referring to a 2022 list from the U.S. Geological Survey, Peters highlights that China is the main source of U.S. imports for the majority of critical minerals, posing potential risks to supply chains.
The task force is set to address this. It will focus on identifying risks to national security along supply chains, formulating a list of critical minerals most important for national security, and providing recommendations regarding mining, supply chains, international partnerships, and strengthening the U.S. workforce in the field.
After passing unanimously by the Senate, the bill will be reintroduced to the House, as slight amendments were made.
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced a bill also targeting China’s dominance in the field in July (we reported). Compared to the domestic nature of the now-passed bill, this legislation targets mainly international cooperation through diplomacy, however.
Photo: iStock/Douglas Rissing
