The US critical minerals strategy is based on Executive Order 13817 (2017) and subsequent executive orders and legislation. The strategy aims to reduce US dependence on foreign sources of critical minerals, particularly from China, and to develop domestic mining, processing, and recycling capacity.
USGS Critical Minerals List
The US Geological Survey (USGS) maintains the official US critical minerals list. The 2022 list contains 50 minerals, including: aluminium; antimony; arsenic; barite; beryllium; bismuth; cerium; caesium; chromium; cobalt; dysprosium; erbium; europium; fluorspar; gadolinium; gallium; germanium; graphite; hafnium; holmium; indium; iridium; lanthanum; lithium; lutetium; magnesium; manganese; neodymium; nickel; niobium; palladium; platinum; praseodymium; rhodium; rubidium; ruthenium; samarium; scandium; tantalum; tellurium; terbium; thulium; tin; titanium; tungsten; vanadium; ytterbium; yttrium; zinc; and zirconium.