While given that, one would expect that formulating a coherent national mineral strategy to ensure such access would be a public policy imperative, a new study by the American Resources Policy Network finds that this, unfortunately, is not the case.

The study, to be formally released at the The Strategic Minerals Conference 2012, taking place on June 6, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, attempts to give a snapshot of the federal government’s approach to the United States’ mineral supply needs by reviewing recent government literature on the issue. The report will be available at www.americanresources.org after the conference.

The key questions guiding our research for the report -

1. Is there a consensus on which metals or minerals are “critical and/or strategic?”
2. What is our supply risk or import exposure (drawing on USGS data)?
3. How do we square private market activity with public policy to reduce resource dependency where possible and ensure surety of supply?

- will also be taken up and elaborated upon by a formidable lineup of speakers and panelists at the June 6th event.

For more information including related video from some of the conference participants, and an updated agenda as the event date draws closer visit www.strategicmineralsconference.com.

The post Forthcoming American Resources study – Reviewing Risk: Critical Metals & National Security appeared first on American Resources Policy Network.

The Indian government’s move is consistent with its efforts to secure access to strategic metals and minerals, including rare earths, which are critical for its burgeoning industrial sectors. As India competes with other fast-growing and resource-hungry nations like China for the world’s natural resources, expect to see more deals like this one.  The question U.S. policy makers should ask themselves is: Are we doing enough to secure our own strategic and economic future?

The post India secures exclusive access to Madagascar rare earths find appeared first on American Resources Policy Network.

A boon to the rural county in which the deposit was discovered, the find also bears testimony to the fact that resource-rich China’s dominant position in the strategic metals sector and the geopolitical and economic challenges that come with it won’t simply expire anytime soon.  It is time for other nations (including our own) to reassess their mineral policies and make the exploration and development of their domestic natural resources a priority.

The post China discovers world’s second largest molybdenum deposit appeared first on American Resources Policy Network.

The Tellurium in the title is an element critical to new solar panel applications. As New Scientist puts it: “Demand for many of these unsung elements is soaring, so much so that it could soon outstrip supply.”

The catch, as I outlined in my House testimony, is that you can’t mine Tellurium. It’s recovered — extracted — in the course of mining copper or, to a lesser extent, some gold and lead deposits.

At present, one company in the U.S. extracts Tellurium from copper. Last year, U.S. manufacturers imported 49 percent of the Tellurium they used from China.

The post Is Tellurium the “new gold?” appeared first on American Resources Policy Network.

It also illustrates the geopolitical nature of the global race for resources – a fact well-understood by China.  Africa, which has vast, but largely unexplored mineral deposits, has been the target of increased Chinese investment in an effort to gain access to these mineral riches for more than a decade. The continent may well become the next battle ground in the global resource wars, as other emerging powers, including India, are looking to strategically position themselves here.

The post Mozambique find underscores geopolitics of global race for resources appeared first on American Resources Policy Network.