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	<title>American Resources Policy Network &#187; Australia</title>
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		<title>Heavy-Handed Government Protectionism Could Backfire as Nations Continue Push towards Net-Zero Carbon Emissions</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/heavy-handed-government-protectionism-could-backfire-as-nations-continue-push-towards-net-zero-carbon-emissions/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=heavy-handed-government-protectionism-could-backfire-as-nations-continue-push-towards-net-zero-carbon-emissions</link>
		<comments>https://americanresources.org/heavy-handed-government-protectionism-could-backfire-as-nations-continue-push-towards-net-zero-carbon-emissions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jul 2023 15:44:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Popular]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[all-of-the-above]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Latin America]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike Henry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[net zero]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protectionism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[resource nationalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South America]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supply chains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Western hemisphere]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=6385</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Against the backdrop of surging demand for critical minerals and mounting geopolitical pressures, countries all over the world have stepped up their involvement in the critical minerals sector as the green energy transition charges on. Followers of ARPN are aware of rising resource nationalism in Latin and South America, parts of Asia, and now Africa (see [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/heavy-handed-government-protectionism-could-backfire-as-nations-continue-push-towards-net-zero-carbon-emissions/">Heavy-Handed Government Protectionism Could Backfire as Nations Continue Push towards Net-Zero Carbon Emissions</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Against the backdrop of surging demand for critical minerals and mounting geopolitical pressures, countries all over the world have stepped up their involvement in the critical minerals sector as the green energy transition charges on.</p>
<p>Followers of ARPN are aware of rising resource nationalism in Latin and South America, parts of Asia, and now Africa <i>(see our most recent coverage of the issue </i><a href="https://americanresources.org/?s=Nationalism"><i>here</i></a><i>)</i>.  While some of these developments can be chalked up to a historically penchant for resource nationalism, more recently, government involvement in the critical minerals sector is on the rise even in the Western world.</p>
<p>As ARPN outlined earlier, while modern Western democracies are typically hesitant to embrace more state intervention in the critical minerals sector, many believe that in order to succeed, the United States and its allies need to learn <i><a href="https://www.thewirechina.com/2023/04/23/rare-earths-reshore/">“how to stomach more state intervention [themselves].” </a></i></p>
<p>While state involvement has taken different forms depending on the geographical region, type of government and prevailing political leanings in a given country, a general trend towards more government intervention in this field cannot be dismissed, prompting PHP Group Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Mike Henry to warn that some of these efforts could backfire, and in fact undermine the global push towards net zero carbon emissions.</p>
<p>Speaking at an industry conference in Brisbane, Australia, he told attendees that it was <i>“‘understandable’ that nations were scrambling to secure domestic supply of the metals needed in renewable energy and electric vehicles, but warned against an excessively domestic focus and over-reliance on the ‘sugar hit’ of state-provided subsidies,”</i> as Yahoo Finance <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bhp-urges-nations-avoid-critical-235247294.html">reports</a>.</p>
<p>Said Henry:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>“Governments striving to secure their own critical mineral supplies must ensure they don’t undermine the outcome the world needs to achieve – where in fact a combination of pragmatic international cooperation and competition can jointly accelerate the energy transition,” </i></p>
<p>Speaking specifically in reference to Australia’s just-released critical minerals strategy, which had left some disappointed as they had hoped for more subsidies, permitting reforms and additions to the country’s critical minerals list, he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/australias-critical-minerals-industry-does-not-need-subsidies-bhp-2023-06-27/?n=@">added</a>:</p></blockquote>
<p><i>“There’s a big movement underway in the U.S. right now towards permitting reform. Australia needs to do that,”</i> and <i>“[w]hat governments here – federal and state – should focus on are those things within their control to make investment fundamentally more attractive,”</i> i.e. focus on better productivity and fiscal settings.</p>
<p>Henry’s comments should give policy stakeholders pause as they rush towards protectionism.</p>
<p>For a prudent all-of-the-above mineral resource policy to succeed, governments should avoid a heavy-handed approach and rather focus on providing well-structured frameworks conducive to unleashing their countries’ mineral potential and securing critical mineral supply chains without stifling the progress that stems from market innovation.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2Fheavy-handed-government-protectionism-could-backfire-as-nations-continue-push-towards-net-zero-carbon-emissions%2F&amp;title=Heavy-Handed%20Government%20Protectionism%20Could%20Backfire%20as%20Nations%20Continue%20Push%20towards%20Net-Zero%20Carbon%20Emissions" id="wpa2a_2"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/heavy-handed-government-protectionism-could-backfire-as-nations-continue-push-towards-net-zero-carbon-emissions/">Heavy-Handed Government Protectionism Could Backfire as Nations Continue Push towards Net-Zero Carbon Emissions</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Is the U.S. Ready for the Coming “Coop-etition” for Critical Minerals?</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/is-the-u-s-ready-for-the-coming-coop-etition-for-critical-minerals/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=is-the-u-s-ready-for-the-coming-coop-etition-for-critical-minerals</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 26 May 2023 16:59:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Popular]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[G-7]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=6293</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As geopolitical tensions continue to mount all over the globe, leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries gathering in Hiroshima, Japan last week reaffirmed the need to “manage the risks caused by vulnerable minerals supply chains and build more resilient sources.”   Buried in the boilerplate consensus common to G-7 sessions is real interest in cooperation among the [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/is-the-u-s-ready-for-the-coming-coop-etition-for-critical-minerals/">Is the U.S. Ready for the Coming “Coop-etition” for Critical Minerals?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As geopolitical tensions continue to mount all over the globe, leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries gathering in Hiroshima, Japan last week reaffirmed the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/business/economy/minerals-electric-cars-batteries.html">need to</a> <i>“manage the risks caused by vulnerable minerals supply chains and build more resilient sources.” </i>  Buried in the boilerplate consensus common to G-7 sessions is real interest in cooperation among the world’s richest democracies – with an undercurrent of concern that competition for scarce resources may pit allies against one another.</p>
<p>During the meeting, the United States and Australia <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/australia-united-states-climate-critical-minerals-and-clean-energy-transformation-compact">announced</a> a “<i>Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact”</i> to <i>“enhance individual action and deepen (…) bilateral and multilateral cooperation to expand and diversify sources of clean energy and its inputs.”</i></p>
<p>The Compact is the latest in a series of bilateral and multilateral initiatives and partnerships undertaken and entered into by the Biden Administration in a push to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and reduce vulnerabilities through diversification of sources.</p>
<p>However, as the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/business/economy/minerals-electric-cars-batteries.html">points out</a>, <i>“(…) figuring out how to access all of the minerals the United States will need will still be a challenge. Many mineral-rich nations have poor environmental and labor standards. And although speeches at the G7 emphasized alliances and partnerships, rich countries are still essentially competing for scarce resources.”</i></p>
<p>Call it <em>“coop-etition:”</em> A wary realization that the need to coordinate Critical Mineral policy coexists with the growing awareness that even increased supply of essential metals and minerals may not keep pace with rising demand.  How the U.S. and its allies navigate this new resource relationship – multiplied across several score of Critical Minerals – may be one of the principal commercial, diplomatic and national security challenges of this century.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2Fis-the-u-s-ready-for-the-coming-coop-etition-for-critical-minerals%2F&amp;title=Is%20the%20U.S.%20Ready%20for%20the%20Coming%20%E2%80%9CCoop-etition%E2%80%9D%20for%20Critical%20Minerals%3F" id="wpa2a_4"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/is-the-u-s-ready-for-the-coming-coop-etition-for-critical-minerals/">Is the U.S. Ready for the Coming “Coop-etition” for Critical Minerals?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Tech Arms Race to Heat Up as Western Nations Take Steps to Counter China on Semiconductors, Critical Minerals</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/tech-arms-race-to-heat-up-as-western-nations-take-steps-to-counter-china-on-semiconductors-critical-minerals/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=tech-arms-race-to-heat-up-as-western-nations-take-steps-to-counter-china-on-semiconductors-critical-minerals</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Mar 2023 15:30:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[H.R. 1]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[semiconductors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TAPP American Resources Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tech arms race]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=6204</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p> Semiconductors have become indispensable components for a broad range of electronic devices. They are not only “the material basis for integrated circuits that are essential to modern day life” – the “‘DNA’ of technology” which has “transformed essentially all segments of the economy,” they are also essential to national security, where they enable the “development and fielding of advanced weapons systems and [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/tech-arms-race-to-heat-up-as-western-nations-take-steps-to-counter-china-on-semiconductors-critical-minerals/">Tech Arms Race to Heat Up as Western Nations Take Steps to Counter China on Semiconductors, Critical Minerals</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b> </b>Semiconductors have become indispensable components for a broad range of electronic devices.</p>
<p>They are not only <i>“the material basis for integrated circuits that are essential to modern day life”</i> – the <i>“‘DNA’ of technology”</i> which has <i>“transformed essentially all segments of the economy,”</i> they are also essential to national security, where they enable the <i>“development and fielding of advanced weapons systems and control toe operation of the nation’s critical infrastructure,”</i> as the Department of Commerce-led chapter in the <a href="https://americanresources.org/critical-mass/">Biden Administration’s 100 Day Supply Chain Review report</a> outlines.</p>
<p>As such, they sit at the heart of U.S.-Chinese tech competition, and have been <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/09/tech/chips-act-semiconductor-china/index.html">dubbed</a> <i>“the next frontier in the tech battle between the U.S. and China”</i> for good reason.</p>
<p>In his State of the Union address last month, U.S. President Joe Biden touted last fall’s passage of the CHIPS and Science Act allocating new funding for research, development and production of semiconductors, which has spurred private investment in the sector. Following on the heels of the new law, the Commerce Department in October applied new export controls to China’s access to advanced computing chips, its ability to develop and maintain super computers and manufacture semiconductors.</p>
<p>As Shubham Dwivedi and Gregory D. Wischer <a href="https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2023/02/21/future_semiconductor_legislation_needs_to_support_critical_mineral_projects_883074.html">wrote last month</a> for RealClearEnergy, <i>“[t]he subsequent chip measures were clinically targeted at critical chokepoints in the global chip supply chain, and have since been backed by important partners, including Japan and the Netherlands, two key players in the advanced semiconductor ecosystem.” </i><i></i></p>
<p>But the semiconductor space is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.</p>
<p>Write Dwivedi and Wischer:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>“Semiconductors require various minerals such as silicon, gallium, arsenic, cobalt, and more. </i><a href="https://irds.ieee.org/topics/semiconductor-materials"><i>Silicon</i></a><i> is the most common foundational material for chips today, while </i><a href="https://irds.ieee.org/topics/semiconductor-materials"><i>gallium arsenide</i></a><i> is the second most common. </i><a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/cobalt-could-untangle-chips-wiring-problems"><i>Cobalt</i></a><i> is increasingly important for advanced chips too.”</i></p></blockquote>
<p>As long as China controls critical mineral supply chains – and a look at the <a href="https://americanresources.org/usgs-mineral-commodity-summaries-2022-amidst-greater-focus-on-supply-chain-security-mineral-resource-dependence-persists/">latest USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries</a> leaves no doubt about that, semiconductor supply chains – and as such national security will still be jeopardized.</p>
<p>In their quest to alleviate <i>“undue geopolitical leverage,”</i> U.S. allies like Canada, and more recently Australia, have taken steps to reduce Chinese influence in their critical mineral industries.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/miners-grow-anxious-canada-tightens-foreign-investment-rules-2023-03-05/">proposal to bolster</a> the Investment Canada Act (ICA) to empower government ministers to block or unwind critical mineral investments if these are considered as a threat to national security, considered a defensive measure against China which has invested $7 billion in Canada’s base metals sector in the past two decades, is expected to be finalized this spring. Prior to the unveiling of the proposal, Canadian officials had ordered Chinese companies to sell their stakes in three Toronto Stock Exchange-listed companies last fall.</p>
<p>Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers <a href="https://www.australianresourcesandinvestment.com.au/2023/03/02/china-rare-earths-investment-blocked-a-sign-of-things-to-come/?utm_content=240762920&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;hss_channel=tw-1507059065708498949">recently blocked</a> a request by a Chinese company to boost its investment in Australian REE company Northern Minerals via a prevention order, the first move of this kind since the Treasurer had expressed concerns over the <i>“concentrated nature of the China-dominated critical minerals supply chain”</i> elevated by the Russia-Ukraine war.</p>
<p>When Dwivedi and Wischer published their piece in February, they lamented that the CHIPS and Science Act represents a missed opportunity to strengthen the U.S. domestic critical mineral industry, and urged Congress to take up legislation to not only provide funding for domestic critical mineral projects, but rather also reform the cumbersome permitting system.</p>
<p>Since then, House Republicans have put forth the  <a href="https://www.majorityleader.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_1_section_by_section.pdf">Transparency, Accountability, Permitting and Production of (TAPP) American Resources Act, H.R. 1</a> which seeks to bolster U.S. critical mineral supply chains by reducing red tape, entry barriers and redundancies, and reforming the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to provide industry with clearer timelines and more certainty, and would emulate, to an extent Canada’s and Australia’s approach to curbing Chinese influence by seeking to limit Chinese and other <i>“bad actors’”</i>involvement in the U.S. critical minerals industry.</p>
<p>H.R. 1 will only be an opening salvo in the discourse over securing the supply chains underpinning 21<sup>st</sup>Century technology, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the West has woken up to the seriousness of its over-reliance on Beijing, and the tech arms race is heating up.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2Ftech-arms-race-to-heat-up-as-western-nations-take-steps-to-counter-china-on-semiconductors-critical-minerals%2F&amp;title=Tech%20Arms%20Race%20to%20Heat%20Up%20as%20Western%20Nations%20Take%20Steps%20to%20Counter%20China%20on%20Semiconductors%2C%20Critical%20Minerals" id="wpa2a_6"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/tech-arms-race-to-heat-up-as-western-nations-take-steps-to-counter-china-on-semiconductors-critical-minerals/">Tech Arms Race to Heat Up as Western Nations Take Steps to Counter China on Semiconductors, Critical Minerals</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Go West – A Look at the Western World in the Context of the Post-Cold War Critical Mineral Realignment</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/go-west-a-look-at-the-western-world-in-the-context-of-the-post-cold-war-critical-mineral-realignment/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=go-west-a-look-at-the-western-world-in-the-context-of-the-post-cold-war-critical-mineral-realignment</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2023 18:07:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[Three Amigos]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=6116</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As world leaders continue to deliberate on the new realities of the post-Cold War world order in Davos this week,  ARPN takes a second look at the realignment underway in the minerals sector.  In this post, we shift our focus to the West, where the “Three Amigos Summit,” as the trilateral North American Leaders’ Summit between the prime minister [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/go-west-a-look-at-the-western-world-in-the-context-of-the-post-cold-war-critical-mineral-realignment/">Go West – A Look at the Western World in the Context of the Post-Cold War Critical Mineral Realignment</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As world leaders continue to deliberate on the new realities of the post-Cold War world order in Davos this week,  ARPN takes a second look at the realignment underway in the minerals sector.  In this post, we shift our focus to the West, where the <i>“Three Amigos Summit,”</i> as the trilateral North American Leaders’ Summit between the prime minister of Canada, the president of Mexico, and the president of the United States is sometimes called, made some headlines directly relevant to critical minerals issues.</p>
<p>Leading up to the event, the three countries announced fresh commitments to work together on key sectors, such as semiconductors and critical minerals, as well as on supply chains and advanced workforce training.   As ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/white-house-announces-new-agreements-ahead-amigos-summit/story?id=96330141">reports</a>, <i>“those agreements include a cabinet-level summit on semiconductors, mapping mineral resources across the North American continent and promoting educational investment.”</i></p>
<p>The United States lists a number of countries as strategic partners in its quest to achieve greater <i>“supply chain resilience.”</i>   However, the Three Amigos’ commitments must be viewed in the context of the overall U.S. goal of establishing a more integrated North American supply chain with Canada and Mexico being not only the largest trading partners, but also the only ones with whom the U.S. shares national borders.</p>
<p>Canada and the United States have already taken their own steps to advance critical mineral supply chain security and decouple from adversary nations, i.e. China, deepened their cooperation bilaterally over the past few years, with a flurry of activities occurring over the past twelve months. Followers of ARPN will recall the invocation of the Defense Production Act and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. (see our <a href="https://americanresources.org/2022-arpns-year-in-review/">Year in Review post</a> for more).</p>
<p>For Canada, 2022 culminated in the launch of the country’s Critical Minerals Strategy in December 2022, with a stated goal of speeding up the permitting process for new mines in Canada after Ottawa cracked down on Chinese investment into the country’s critical mineral sector in the wake of growing national security concerns.  In line with these policies, the Canadian federal government <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ottawa-approves-new-quebec-lithium-mine-as-canada-doubles-down-on/">has just greenlighted</a> Canadian miner Galaxy Lithium Inc.’s project to construct a new lithium mine in Quebec.</p>
<p>To our south, Mexico, home to significant copper and silver deposits, is also known to have significant rare earths and lithium deposits.  While observers <a href="https://investorintel.com/critical-minerals-rare-earths/the-critical-minerals-task-of-the-three-amigos/">point out</a> that a confluence of technological, legal and political challenges will likely continue to hamper critical mineral resource development leaving Mexico to <i>“continue to assemble electric cars but not provide the materials for many of the key components required for a greener future,”</i> closer cooperation between the Three Amigos in this area is welcome and likely beneficial in the long run, if Mexico is able to address some of its domestic obstacles.</p>
<p>Leaving North America behind, another key U.S. partner, Australia, is forging ahead with its push to strengthen critical mineral supply chains for its own industries and for the benefit of its partners. Earlier this week, the federal government in Canberra <a href="https://www.miningweekly.com/article/new-gov-grants-for-critical-mineral-developments-2023-01-18/rep_id:3650">released</a> guidelines for “new grants to help develop Australia’s critical minerals sector, support downstream processing, create jobs across regional Australia and support global efforts to achieve net-zero.”</p>
<p>Across the Atlantic, the European Union in September of 2022 proposed <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/how-the-eu-plans-to-win-the-global-race-for-critical-raw-materials/">European Critical Raw Material Act</a>, which aims to boost domestic critical minerals production, diversify supply chains and ramp up recycling efforts and which is scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2023.</p>
<p>In a broader global context, the United States, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have banded together to form the <a href="https://www.state.gov/minerals-security-partnership/">Minerals Security Partnership</a>, an initiative to bolster critical mineral supply chains while ensuring that<i> “critical minerals are produced, processed and recycled in a manner that supports the ability of countries to realize the full economic development benefit of their geological endowments” </i>(see our post on the launch here).</p>
<p>Formation of the MSP, <a href="https://www.mining.com/web/column-us-forms-friendly-coalition-to-secure-critical-minerals/">in the words of Reuters’s Andy Home</a>, may signify a <i>“tectonic realignment with far-reaching implications”</i> as it — against the backdrop of Russia’s war on Ukraine and mounting tension with China — is <i>“defined as much as anything by who is not on the invite list — China and Russia,”</i> and likened it to the creation of a <i>“metallic NATO (…) though no-one [was] calling it that just yet.”</i></p>
<p>While <i>“the shape of an alternative international system is unclear,” </i>as the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/14/world/davos-world-economic-forum.html">posited</a> earlier this week in a piece on a newly emerging post-Cold War world order, it appears that the great realignment has begun, and we can expect to see more developments along these lines in the coming months.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2Fgo-west-a-look-at-the-western-world-in-the-context-of-the-post-cold-war-critical-mineral-realignment%2F&amp;title=Go%20West%20%E2%80%93%20A%20Look%20at%20the%20Western%20World%20in%20the%20Context%20of%20the%20Post-Cold%20War%20Critical%20Mineral%20Realignment" id="wpa2a_8"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/go-west-a-look-at-the-western-world-in-the-context-of-the-post-cold-war-critical-mineral-realignment/">Go West – A Look at the Western World in the Context of the Post-Cold War Critical Mineral Realignment</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>President Xi Jinping’s “Coronation” Adds Fuel to the Fire to Decouple Critical Mineral Supply Chains from China</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/president-xi-jinpings-coronation-adds-fuel-to-the-fire-to-decouple-critical-mineral-supply-chains-from-china/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=president-xi-jinpings-coronation-adds-fuel-to-the-fire-to-decouple-critical-mineral-supply-chains-from-china</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Oct 2022 13:50:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Popular]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CCP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decoupling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supply chain security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wall Street Journal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xi Jinping]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=5979</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>With pressures rising on critical mineral supply chains as nations rush to flesh out environmental initiatives before the COP27 climate change summit kicks off in Sharm El Sheikh next month, the stakes for the United States and its allies to “decouple” from adversary nations — in the new U.S. National Security Strategy, read:  China — may have gotten even [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/president-xi-jinpings-coronation-adds-fuel-to-the-fire-to-decouple-critical-mineral-supply-chains-from-china/">President Xi Jinping’s “Coronation” Adds Fuel to the Fire to Decouple Critical Mineral Supply Chains from China</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With pressures rising on critical mineral supply chains as nations rush to flesh out environmental initiatives before the COP27 climate change summit kicks off in Sharm El Sheikh next month, the stakes for the United States and its allies to <i>“decouple”</i> from adversary nations — in the new <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Biden-Harris-Administrations-National-Security-Strategy-10.2022.pdf">U.S. National Security Strategy</a>, read:  China — may have gotten even higher with China’s Communist Party (CCP) confirming President Xi Jinping for another term in office this past Sunday.</p>
<p>In what effectively amounted to a <i>“coronation,”</i> as the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-thoughts-of-chairman-xi-nationalism-aggression-china-ccp-communist-power-mao-war-taiwan-south-korea-11665955319">Wall Street Journal editorial board phrased it</a>, the CCP’s move has effectively <i>“confirm[ed] China’s combination of aggressive nationalism and Communist ideology that is the single biggest threat to world freedom.” </i></p>
<p>Mr. Xi’s confirmation to another term was hardly a surprise, but in his landmark speech addressing the CCP Congress, he emphasized the the need to increase China’s self-sufficiency in technology and supply chains, and reaffirmed China’s commitment to attaining control over Taiwan — a key point of contention in the country’s relations with the United States, which have already starkly deteriorated in recent years.  According to the Wall Street Journal, the <i>“coronation”</i> <i>“all but guarantees an era of confrontation between China and the U.S.”</i></p>
<p>Aware that <i>“China has big footed a lot of the technology and supply chains that could end up making us vulnerable if we don’t develop our own supply chains,”</i> as U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/under-the-thumb-energy-security-fears-over-chinas-dominance-of-solar-manufacturing/news-story/c6a6d99ff3946aa7bf52beb419ddbf2f">phrased it</a> earlier this summer, the United States and its partners have stepped up efforts to decouple from China.</p>
<p>These may become all the more pressing in light of current fears, as Damon Kitney <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&amp;dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Feconomics%2Fus-will-go-nuts-if-china-cuts-exports-warns-joe-hockey%2Fnews-story%2Fed02a9a92f8e1b3bb5cacc940597ed65&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium&amp;v21=dynamic-groupa-control-noscore&amp;V21spcbehaviour=append">reports for The Australian</a>, that China may seek to retaliate after the U.S. Department of Commerce announced sweeping limitations to semiconductor and chip-making equipment sales to Chinese customers this fall.</p>
<p>Speaking to a private forum in Melbourne, earlier this month, Australia’s former Ambassador to the U.S. and federal Treasurer Joe Hockey <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&amp;dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Feconomics%2Fus-will-go-nuts-if-china-cuts-exports-warns-joe-hockey%2Fnews-story%2Fed02a9a92f8e1b3bb5cacc940597ed65&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium&amp;v21=dynamic-groupa-control-noscore&amp;V21spcbehaviour=append">told</a> attendees:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>“In terms of critical minerals, my concern is – and there has started to be a few reports in the US suggesting this – is that after the midterm elections, and with a re-empowered (Chinese President) Xi Jinping, as of next year China will start to turn down the tap on the supply of critical minerals to the US and other places.”</i></p></blockquote>
<p>Followers of ARPN have long known that China is no stranger to playing politics with its near-total rare earths supply monopoly, and just last year, we saw the country <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d3ed83f4-19bc-4d16-b510-415749c032c1">threatening to limit rare earth shipments</a> to U.S. defense contractors over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.</p>
<p>Thankfully, U.S. domestic efforts to bolster supply chains can be complemented with leveraging close cooperation with allied nations including Canada and Australia.</p>
<p>Australia is ready to step up its rare earths game and challenge China in this segment.  As Phil Mercer <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/australia-challenges-china-mining-essential-230347160.html">writes for BBC News, Sydney</a>, <i>“Australia, a superpower exporter of iron ore and coal with rich mining traditions believes it is well-placed to join the race to exploit minerals that provide critical parts for electric vehicles and wind turbines.” </i>He cites John Coyne of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, who — while warning that China will not easily surrender its dominance of the sector — says:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>“Australia has the world’s sixth-largest reserves of rare earth minerals. However, they remain largely untapped with only two mines producing them.  There is significant potential in the establishment of multi-ore mineral-processing hubs in Australia. After all, there is no point in creating supply chain resilience for [rare earth] ores if miners must still send them to China for processing.”</i></p></blockquote>
<p>Mercer points to the U.S. Defense Department’s deal with Australian miner Lynas Rare Earths, which has been contracted to construct a REE processing facility in the U.S..</p>
<p>In the same vein,  the Canadian government<i> </i><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6da95eb8-6def-43a9-9eb0-8a026781c31c">has inked</a> an agreement with Rio Tinto to jointly invest $737 million to modernize the company’s Sorel-Tracy, Quebec metals processing plant, with  Rio Tinto’ chief executive Jakob Stausholm warning of the <i>“excesses of globalization”</i> in critical mineral supply chains. The move is said to strengthen <i>“North America’s first production capacity for titanium metal, a lightweight but strong material important to aerospace and defense groups such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin.” </i></p>
<p>Stateside, the U.S. Department of Energy has just <a href="https://americanresources.org/u-s-department-of-energy-announces-federal-grants-to-supercharge-u-s-ev-battery-and-electric-grid-supply-chains-2/">announced</a> the first round of funding under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure act for projects aimed at <i>“supercharging”</i> U.S. manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and electric grid — another important step in the decoupling from adversaries like China.</p>
<p>With a newly-emboldened Mr. Xi reportedly seeing the possibility of a showdown with the West as <i>“increasingly likely”</i>in the context of his goal to “<i>restore</i> <i>China to what he believes is its rightful place as a global player and a peer of the U.S,”</i> as the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-congress-xi-jinping-us-11665753002">Wall Street Journal writes</a>, these efforts could not be more urgent.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2Fpresident-xi-jinpings-coronation-adds-fuel-to-the-fire-to-decouple-critical-mineral-supply-chains-from-china%2F&amp;title=President%20Xi%20Jinping%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9CCoronation%E2%80%9D%20Adds%20Fuel%20to%20the%20Fire%20to%20Decouple%20Critical%20Mineral%20Supply%20Chains%20from%20China" id="wpa2a_10"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/president-xi-jinpings-coronation-adds-fuel-to-the-fire-to-decouple-critical-mineral-supply-chains-from-china/">President Xi Jinping’s “Coronation” Adds Fuel to the Fire to Decouple Critical Mineral Supply Chains from China</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>As Allies Take Steps to Unleash Mineral Potential, U.S. Must Not Become Complacent – “Friend-Shoring” Piece of the Puzzle, not Panacea</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/as-allies-take-steps-to-unleash-mineral-potential-u-s-must-not-become-complacent-friend-shoring-piece-of-the-puzzle-not-panacea/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=as-allies-take-steps-to-unleash-mineral-potential-u-s-must-not-become-complacent-friend-shoring-piece-of-the-puzzle-not-panacea</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Apr 2022 19:39:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[all-of-the-above]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cooperation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[f]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friend-shoring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supply chain security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=5691</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>As U.S. stakeholders grapple with the question of how to bolster U.S. supply chains for the battery criticals and other critical minerals amidst skyrocketing demand scenarios and growing geopolitical pressures, our allies are taking steps of their own to unleash their mineral potential. Looking north, in order to “secure Canada’s place in important supply chains with [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/as-allies-take-steps-to-unleash-mineral-potential-u-s-must-not-become-complacent-friend-shoring-piece-of-the-puzzle-not-panacea/">As Allies Take Steps to Unleash Mineral Potential, U.S. Must Not Become Complacent – “Friend-Shoring” Piece of the Puzzle, not Panacea</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As U.S. stakeholders grapple with the question of how to bolster U.S. supply chains for the battery criticals and other critical minerals amidst skyrocketing demand scenarios and growing geopolitical pressures, our allies are taking steps of their own to unleash their mineral potential.</p>
<p>Looking north, in order to <i>“secure Canada’s place in important supply chains with other countries and [to] implement a just and sustainable Critical Minerals Strategy,”</i> the Trudeau government 2022 budget blueprint <a href="https://www.mining.com/web/canada-to-invest-1-6-billion-on-mineral-strategy-for-ev-battery-supply-chain/">released</a> earlier this month proposes up to $3.8 billion over eight years beginning in the fiscal year 2022-23 in <i>“significant investments, while working closely with affected Indigenous groups, to contribute to the development of a domestic zero-emissions vehicle chain.”  </i></p>
<p>Meanwhile, across the globe, the Australian Federal Government announced its 2022 Critical Minerals Strategy in March of this year, building on the first Critical Minerals Strategy initially published in 2019.  According to the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, the <a href="https://www.claytonutz.com/knowledge/2022/april/recent-updates-to-the-critical-minerals-industry-what-you-need-to-know">revised strategy</a> <i>“has a vision to put Australia at the centre of meeting the growing demand for critical minerals. It will underpin our prosperity and security by improving access to reliable, secure and resilient supplies of critical minerals.”</i> By de-risking projects, creating an <i>“enabling”</i> environment and strengthening international partnerships, the Australian government aims to make Australia a <i>“global critical minerals powerhouse by 2030, delivering stable supply, sovereign capability and regional jobs and growth to Australia.”</i></p>
<p>In keeping with the Biden-Administration’s emphasis on leveraging international partnerships with close allies, the United States has continued to work closely with Canada and Australia to strengthen and formalize mineral resource cooperation. Most recently, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo <a href="https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/aus-us-cooperate-on-critical-minerals-and-supply-chain-resilience/">met</a> in Washington, D.C. at the end of March for the inaugural Australia-US Strategic Commercial Dialogue (AUSSCD) to discuss the accelerating green energy transition and related mineral resource challenges.  The executive-level roundtable highlighted the importance of developing shared approaches to ESG and traceability standards and working with other like-minded partners to build resilient supply chains.</p>
<p>These developments are encouraging, but tempting as it may be – particularly in light of the pervasive nature of the <i>“paradox of the green revolution”</i>, as Reuters columnist Andy Home <a href="https://americanresources.org/invocation-of-defense-production-act-a-sign-america-is-finally-taking-the-battery-metal-shortage-seriously-but-must-be-embedded-in-true-all-of-the-above-strategy/">called</a> the paradox that <i>“public opinion is firmly in favour of decarbonisation but not the mines and smelters needed to get there”</i> – we must not be complacent and rely too much on friend-shoring.</p>
<p>With the advent of political campaign season, the balancing act to reconcile green credentials with the acknowledged need for domestic resource development will not get any easier for the Biden Administration.  <em>“Friend-shoring”</em> is certainly an important pillar of the <i>“all-of-the-above”</i> concept, but, in light of mounting demand and ever higher stakes with Russia’s war on Ukraine and rising resource nationalism, it is insufficient to alleviate our overall problem.</p>
<p>Thankfully, as <a href="https://americanresources.org/arpns-2021-word-of-the-year-supply-chain/">ARPN has consistently argued</a>, <i>“[t]he good news is that courtesy of the materials science revolution, industry can harness new technologies to do expand our mining infrastructure responsibly and sustainably – (…) and as even Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm </i><a href="https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2021/6/full-committee-hearing-to-examine-the-president-s-fy-2022-budget-request-for-the-department-of-energy"><i>acknowledged</i></a><i> [last] summer during a U.S. Senate hearing:  ‘This is the United States. We can mine in a responsible way. And many places are doing it. And there are some places where there are more challenges, but we can do this.’” </i></p>
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		<title>U.S. Allies Take Steps to Secure Critical Mineral Resource Supply Chains</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/u-s-allies-take-steps-to-secure-critical-mineral-resource-supply-chains/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=u-s-allies-take-steps-to-secure-critical-mineral-resource-supply-chains</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Oct 2021 19:35:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Popular]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[import reliance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mineral resource strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supply chain security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=5455</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The toilet paper shortage of 2020 may be a thing of the past – or perhaps an annual event… &#8211;  but roughly a year and half since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers continue to feel the pinch of supply chain challenges across all industry sectors.  For ARPN, with due appreciation of the dislocations and the [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/u-s-allies-take-steps-to-secure-critical-mineral-resource-supply-chains/">U.S. Allies Take Steps to Secure Critical Mineral Resource Supply Chains</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The toilet paper shortage of 2020 may be a thing of the past – or perhaps an annual event… &#8211;  but roughly a year and half since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers continue to feel the pinch of supply chain challenges across all industry sectors.  For ARPN, with due appreciation of the dislocations and the very real privations they cause, this heightened supply chain scrutiny is serving up a <em>“teachable moment:”</em></p>
<p>These challenges, coupled with the accelerating global push towards a net zero carbon future, have set off a global scramble for critical minerals and for strategies on how to best secure their stable supply across all levels of the supply chain.</p>
<p>While the United States took several promising steps culminating in the release of the Biden Administration’s comprehensive 100 Day Supply Chain review, policy makers in Congress are currently struggling to find agreement on how to advance meaningful critical mineral resource policy reforms (and stop unhelpful provisions) as part of larger federal spending packages.</p>
<p>But policymaking, like nature, abhors a vacuum, so even as U.S. lawmakers try to resolve their differences on Capitol Hill, we are learning that both the European Union and Australia are taking their own steps to bolster critical mineral resource supply chains:</p>
<ul>
<li>The European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) earlier this month <a href="https://erma.eu/european-call-for-action/">released</a> its Action Plan to secure access to Rare Earth Elements for European industry. Entitled Rare Earth Magnets and Motors: A European Call for Action, the report outlines current and projected European demand for Rare Earth Elements and steps which should be taken to secure their supply.  The Alliance is working on a second Action Plan covering materials for energy storage and conversion, such as batteries, fuel cells, solar and hydrogen and other alternative energy storage and conversion systems.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Meanwhile, Down Under, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison <a href="https://www.mining.com/web/australia-to-set-up-1-5bn-loan-facility-for-critical-minerals-projects/">announced</a> at the end of September that the country will set up a A$2 billion ($1.5 billion) loan facility to help finance critical mineral projects in the country and get them off the ground.</li>
</ul>
<p>Of course, neither of these developments is bad new for the United States — especially since both the European Union and Australia are considered close allies, and, particularly the U.S. and Australia have <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/24/fact-sheet-quad-leaders-summit/">recently reiterated</a> their commitment to work together to secure critical material supply chains, both bilaterally and in the context of the Quad discussions.</p>
<p>However, both initiatives underscore the need for U.S. policymakers to put policy over politics and embrace a comprehensive <em>“all of the above”</em> critical mineral resource strategy, and take immediate steps to reduce our critical mineral import reliance and secure our supply chains from mining to materials processing.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2Fu-s-allies-take-steps-to-secure-critical-mineral-resource-supply-chains%2F&amp;title=U.S.%20Allies%20Take%20Steps%20to%20Secure%20Critical%20Mineral%20Resource%20Supply%20Chains" id="wpa2a_14"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/u-s-allies-take-steps-to-secure-critical-mineral-resource-supply-chains/">U.S. Allies Take Steps to Secure Critical Mineral Resource Supply Chains</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Close Allies Map Critical Mineral Cooperation</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/close-allies-map-critical-mineral-cooperation/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=close-allies-map-critical-mineral-cooperation</link>
		<comments>https://americanresources.org/close-allies-map-critical-mineral-cooperation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jul 2021 17:39:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[100-day report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allied cooperation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geological surveys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[map]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mineral resource development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USGS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=5253</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>“Do I have to draw you a map?” As idioms go, that phrase is much nicer than the message it intends – but it’s apt for a new exercise linking the collective expertise of the geological surveys of Australia, Canada and the U.S.: an interactive world map of deposits of rare earths and other critical [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/close-allies-map-critical-mineral-cooperation/">Close Allies Map Critical Mineral Cooperation</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>“Do I have to draw you a map?”</em></p>
<p>As idioms go, that phrase is much nicer than the message it intends – but it’s apt for a new exercise linking the collective expertise of the geological surveys of Australia, Canada and the U.S.: an interactive world map of deposits of rare earths and other critical metals and minerals. The Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative was established in December 2019.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/australia-us-canada-launch-interactive-map-critical-minerals-2021-06-29/">now-released online portal contains</a> <em>“the world’s largest dataset of minerals such as cobalt, lithium and rare earth elements and has more than 7,000 mineral samples from over 60 countries which could help identify new areas of critical minerals.”</em> This tool and its underlying data <em>“can be used by governments to identify options to diversify their critical minerals sources and by companies to better target their exploration strategies.”</em></p>
<p>The critical minerals map is of a piece with the Biden Administration’s recently-released 100-day supply chain report, which issued a clear signal that it intends to pursue an <em>“all of the above”</em> strategy when it comes to securing critical mineral supply chains. Alleviating concerns that the Administration would adopt a more selective approach, the report and subsequent statements by Administration officials have made clear that the approach <a href="http://americanresources.org/100-day-supply-chain-report-striking-a-balance-between-strengthening-domestic-resource-development-and-cooperation-with-allies/">encompasses</a> both investing in <em>“sustainable production, refining, and recycling capacity domestically,”</em> AND working to <em>“diversify supply chains away from adversarial nations and sources with unacceptable environmental and labor standards”</em> by cooperating closely with allies and partners.</p>
<p>Acknowledging China’s role as the world’s leading processor of battery tech metals and our nation’s dependency on Beijing, the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/100-day-supply-chain-review-report.pdf">stressed </a>that <em>“[t]he United States cannot and does not need to mine and process all critical battery inputs at home. It can and should work with allies and partners to expand global production and to ensure secure global supplies.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>As part of the U.S.’s cooperative efforts with close friends and allies, Canada and Australia have taken center stage — for obvious reasons, as we have pointed out in a <a href="http://americanresources.org/100-day-supply-chain-report-striking-a-balance-between-strengthening-domestic-resource-development-and-cooperation-with-allies/">recent post</a>. As supply chain dependencies command more attention, cooperation between the three countries with regards to critical minerals &#8212; the <a href="http://americanresources.org/u-s-to-cooperate-with-canada-and-australia-to-encourage-responsible-resource-development-for-new-energy-technology/">deepening of which began</a> even before the coronavirus pandemic &#8212; is likely to grow.</p>
<p>For followers of ARPN, there’s certainly no need for us to draw you a map when it comes to the following statement. With demand for critical minerals expected to soar in the context of the global pursuit of a low-carbon energy future, this is a welcome additional asset – a field guide for a comprehensive “all of the above” strategy to address our deep critical mineral shortfalls.</p>
<p>All the same, it’s great to have a global guide to potential deposits of the minerals and metals shaping the Tech Metals Age.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2Fclose-allies-map-critical-mineral-cooperation%2F&amp;title=Close%20Allies%20Map%20Critical%20Mineral%20Cooperation" id="wpa2a_16"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/close-allies-map-critical-mineral-cooperation/">Close Allies Map Critical Mineral Cooperation</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>100-Day Supply Chain Report — Striking a Balance Between Strengthening Domestic Resource Development and Cooperation With Allies</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/100-day-supply-chain-report-striking-a-balance-between-strengthening-domestic-resource-development-and-cooperation-with-allies/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=100-day-supply-chain-report-striking-a-balance-between-strengthening-domestic-resource-development-and-cooperation-with-allies</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jun 2021 16:01:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[100 day review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[100-day report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biden Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cooperative agreements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[domestic resource development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[integrated supply chain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[supply chain security]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=5237</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>In its just-released 100-Day Supply Chain Report, the Biden Administration has committed to an “all of the above” approach to critical minerals — a “wrap-around strategy” that includes recycling, substitution, as well as new mining, as Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm told U.S. Senators earlier this month. While investing in “sustainable production, refining, and recycling [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/100-day-supply-chain-report-striking-a-balance-between-strengthening-domestic-resource-development-and-cooperation-with-allies/">100-Day Supply Chain Report — Striking a Balance Between Strengthening Domestic Resource Development and Cooperation With Allies</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In its just-released 100-Day Supply Chain Report, the Biden Administration has committed to an <em>“all of the above”</em> approach to critical minerals — a <em>“wrap-around strategy”</em> that includes recycling, substitution, as well as new mining, as Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm <a href="http://americanresources.org/secretary-of-energy-jennifer-granholm-commits-to-soup-to-nuts-strategy-with-critical-minerals-being-part-and-parcel-to-renewable-energy-production/">told</a> U.S. Senators earlier this month.</p>
<p>While investing in <em>“sustainable production, refining, and recycling capacity domestically,”</em> the Administration <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/06/08/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-supply-chain-disruptions-task-force-to-address-short-term-supply-chain-discontinuities/">will also</a> seek to <em>“diversify supply chains away from adversarial nations and sources with unacceptable environmental and labor standards” </em>by working closely with allies and partners.</p>
<p>With recent studies having made clear that the global shift towards a green energy future will require massive material inputs, it makes sense to see the goal of decoupling from <em>“adversarial nations”</em> like China in a North American context. U.S. domestic production and processing can and should be strengthened, but we are in the fortunate position to also leverage close relations with allied nations.</p>
<p>Enter Canada — a resource-rich nation that is not only on our doorstep, but the linkage with which legally codified, at least in terms of national defense.</p>
<p>As ARPN’s Daniel McGroarty <a href="https://www.investors.com/politics/commentary/aluminum-trade-war-canada-industrial-base/">outlined</a> in a piece for Investors’ Business Daily:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“The linkage [between the U.S. and our neighbors to the North] is enshrined in U.S. and Canadian law. Unlike any of America&#8217;s other allies, Canada has long been part of a special relationship, linking the two country&#8217;s defense industrial bases as one.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>The defense union dates back to the months preceding America&#8217;s entry into World War II: In 1941, FDR and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King agreed to allow American-made war materiel produced in Canada to flow to embattled Britain under Lend-Lease. As the war wore on, Canadian aluminum production ramped up at the massive Saguenay, Quebec, complex, eventually accounting for 40% of all allied aluminum production.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>U.S.-Canada industrial collaboration continued through the Cold War and beyond. Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. federal code formally recognized Canada as a part of the U.S. National Technology and Industrial Base (NTIB) for national security and defense planning purposes.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>As a result, our two countries share the world&#8217;s most integrated defense industrial base. And in a nod to our long alliance, the Canadian air base at Bagotville, Quebec — built in 1942 to protect the aluminum production facilities during World War II — is today part of the joint U.S.-Canadian North-American Air Defense network, better known as NORAD.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>While as such, our relations with Canada will be the most natural fit for critical mineral resource cooperation, the U.S. also has a strong ally in Australia, with whom the U.S. has also entered into cooperative agreements, and will able to leverage another framework for allied cooperation — the National Technology Industrial Base (NTIB), which originally established to strengthen technology links between the U.S. and Canada in 1993, which was expanded in 2016 to include the United Kingdom and Australia.</p>
<p>As ARPN’s McGroarty <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/413974-first-nafta-next-north-american-security">noted in an opinion piece for The Hill</a> in 2018, when discussing the findings of the DoD’s then-released Defense Industrial Base report:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“This four-country economic colossus — with a combined GDP of more than $25 trillion — constitutes a vast reservoir of economic might to draw on for collective national security. With defense technology driven by the rapid development of materials science, the four NTIB nations also host production or known resources of all 35 of the minerals and metals on the U.S. Government’s newly-established Critical Minerals List. As the DIB report notes, Congress has ordered ‘DoD to [develop] a plan to reduce the barriers to the seamless integration across the National Technology and Industrial Base.’ Given the dangers of what the Pentagon Report calls China’s ‘economic aggression,’ it’s time to put this integration into overdrive.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Strengthening domestic resource production as well as processing and closer cooperation with our friends and allies should not be considered mutually exclusive strategies. Striking the right balance will be key as the Administration moves forward to implement the recommendations from its 100 Day Supply Chain Report.</p>
<p>What ARPN’s McGroarty <a href="https://republicans-naturalresources.house.gov/uploadedfiles/mcgroartytestimony05.24.11.pdf">told</a> members of Congress about a decade ago still rings true today:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“We cannot maintain our modern economy without a steady supply of metals and minerals. Those we do not possess here at home, we must source from other countries. But those we possess but choose not to produce perpetuate a needless foreign dependence – leverage that other [adversarial] nations may well use to America’s disadvantage.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2F100-day-supply-chain-report-striking-a-balance-between-strengthening-domestic-resource-development-and-cooperation-with-allies%2F&amp;title=100-Day%20Supply%20Chain%20Report%20%E2%80%94%20Striking%20a%20Balance%20Between%20Strengthening%20Domestic%20Resource%20Development%20and%20Cooperation%20With%20Allies" id="wpa2a_18"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/100-day-supply-chain-report-striking-a-balance-between-strengthening-domestic-resource-development-and-cooperation-with-allies/">100-Day Supply Chain Report — Striking a Balance Between Strengthening Domestic Resource Development and Cooperation With Allies</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Event Alert:  “Critical Minerals Forum 2021” &#8211;  A February Webinar Series on Critical Mineral Research</title>
		<link>https://americanresources.org/event-alert-critical-minerals-forum-2021-a-february-webinar-series-on-critical-mineral-research/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=event-alert-critical-minerals-forum-2021-a-february-webinar-series-on-critical-mineral-research</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jan 2021 18:06:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra Wirtz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2020]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2021]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Geosciences Institute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical minerals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geologists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USGS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[webinar]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanresources.org/?p=5063</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>It’s 2021, and the wild ride 2020 has taken us on continues. There were quite a few developments in the critical minerals realm over the past few months (for a recap see our two summary posts here and here, but if you thought things were about to slow down, you might be wrong. While emphases [...]</p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/event-alert-critical-minerals-forum-2021-a-february-webinar-series-on-critical-mineral-research/">Event Alert:  “Critical Minerals Forum 2021” &#8211;  A February Webinar Series on Critical Mineral Research</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s 2021, and the wild ride 2020 has taken us on continues. There were quite a few developments in the critical minerals realm over the past few months (for a recap see our two summary posts <a href="http://americanresources.org/2020-a-watershed-year-for-resource-policy/">here</a> and <a href="http://americanresources.org/critical-mineral-developments-continue-in-the-waning-days-of-2020-and-into-the-early-days-of-the-new-year/">here</a>, but if you thought things were about to slow down, you might be wrong. While emphases will change with a new Administration at the helm in Washington, DC, the urgency of our nation’s critical mineral woes will continue to warrant action.</p>
<p>As stakeholders prepare to address this year’s challenges, the Geological Survey of Canada, Geoscience Australia and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have teamed up to offer some foundational insights to inform the policy discourse.</p>
<p>Sponsored by the World Community of Geological Surveys and hosted by the American Geosciences Institute, a three-part Critical Minerals Forum will bring together experts from geological survey organizations from different parts of the globe who will share their latest geoscience research and discuss future initiatives.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.americangeosciences.org/webinars/critical-minerals-forum-2021">American Geosciences Institute</a>, the presentations during the event series</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“will focus on advanced mineral system models that are appli¬cable to critical minerals and new methods for modelling mineral potential in buried, remote, and/or other challenging mineral exploration settings. Both of these research themes are included within the new Critical Mineral Mapping Initiative that is being conducted between the Geological Survey of Canada, Geoscience Australia, and the United States Geological Survey. Global efforts to expand this collaboration, including the development of an online geo¬chemical portal for critical mineral deposits, will be discussed as part of this special session and is open to further contributions, research, and analysis.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Here are the coordinates: </strong></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Advances in critical mineral research: A forum in memory of Victor Labson </span><br />
<em>Americas: 12 February 2021, 11:00-14:30 EST<br />
Europe and Africa: 19 February 2021, 11:00-14:30 CET<br />
Asia and Oceania: 26 February 2021, 11:00-14:30 AWST</em></p>
<p><em> </em>For more information, and to register, click <a href="https://www.americangeosciences.org/webinars/critical-minerals-forum-2021">here</a>.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=https%3A%2F%2Famericanresources.org%2Fevent-alert-critical-minerals-forum-2021-a-february-webinar-series-on-critical-mineral-research%2F&amp;title=Event%20Alert%3A%20%20%E2%80%9CCritical%20Minerals%20Forum%202021%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%93%20%20A%20February%20Webinar%20Series%20on%20Critical%20Mineral%20Research" id="wpa2a_20"><img src="https://americanresources.org/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_120_16.png" width="120" height="16" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>The post <a href="https://americanresources.org/event-alert-critical-minerals-forum-2021-a-february-webinar-series-on-critical-mineral-research/">Event Alert:  “Critical Minerals Forum 2021” &#8211;  A February Webinar Series on Critical Mineral Research</a> appeared first on <a href="https://americanresources.org">American Resources Policy Network</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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