Copper, silver, rhenium, and silicon are now among those deemed vital to the U.S. economy and national security.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released its updated list of critical minerals for 2025, identifying materials considered essential to the U.S. economy and national security, as well as vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
Compared with the previous list from 2022, ten new commodities have been added: boron, copper, lead, metallurgical coal, phosphate, potash, rhenium, silicon, silver, and uranium. The total number of minerals designated as critical now stands at 60.
Several of the additions, including copper, silver, and rhenium, were already proposed in a draft list published by the USGS in August for public consultation (we reported). At the time, the agency also considered removing arsenic and tellurium, citing changes in global supply chain dynamics, but ultimately decided to retain them in the final version.
According to the USGS, the list is intended to guide future U.S. raw materials policy, including investment priorities, stockpiling strategies, and permitting decisions. The updated classification was developed using an economic modeling system designed to assess the potential impact of trade disruptions. In total, the analysis encompassed 84 mineral commodities, 402 industry sectors, and over 1,200 scenarios.
The USGS, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, updates its list of critical minerals at least every three years. The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) also maintain their own lists of strategically important materials to support the military and key industrial sectors.
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