In another indicator that access to critical metals is rising to the level of national strategic policy – and transforming the typical travel itineraries for Heads of State – German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, visited Mongolia this week to ink a development deal to accelerate Mongolian rare earths mining. 

The German Government is being spurred on by mega multinationals like Siemens, anxious to lock in continued rare earths access with non-Chinese sources of supply.

Germany’s strategic focus is sharpened by the fact that it has no Rare Earths deposits of its own to develop; being 100 percent import-dependent, its only concern is to diversify its supply sources away from China, currently providing 97 percent of global rare earths production.

One question for U.S. policymakers:  With the U.S. home to 13 percent of global rare earths resources – not to mention similar reserves of a dozen other critical metals – why isn’t the German Chancellor coming to Washington, D.C. to look for partners in resource development?