The new list, which happens to be compiled by the US Geological Survey – USGC, goes on to include 10 additions to the one that was released in 2022, therefore taking the total to 60. The other significant additions are the likes of metallurgical coal, uranium, potash, silicon, rhenium, and lead. The addition of copper along with silver goes on to confirm the last draft as proposed by USGS.

According to an email sent by the president and CEO of the Copper Development Association – CDA, Adam Estelle, to one of the websites that deals with mining developments, they pretty strongly support the decision by the USGC to go ahead and add copper when it comes to the critical minerals list.

He added that as CDA has for long championed through their CopperIsCritical campaign, copper happens to hold the key so as to achieve the top policy objectives of America that include the likes of energy dominance, national security, AI supremacy as well as e-industrialization.

The New List

The USGS has said that it has come up with this by way of using an economic model that it had developed so as to estimate the potential effects as far as foreign trade disruptions of mineral commodities are concerned.

It is well to be noted that this evaluation goes on to span 402 industries, 84 mineral commodities, as well as over 1,200 scenarios, which, as per USGS, offers a much more realistic as well as a usable framework for the policymakers.

Apparently, the critical minerals list happens to serve as a foundation for which commodities the Trump administration is going to invoke a Section 232 probe for probable tariffs and trade restrictions, as it had gone on to do with copper earlier in 2025.

The list is also going to inform areas of investments within mining and resource recovery from stockpiles, mine waste, tax incentives for US mineral processing, and also streamlined mine permitting.

Notably, this update comes just days after the US and China went on to agree to resolve their issue pertaining to rare earth minerals, which apparently make up 15 entries on the overall USGS list.

Notably, visiting U.S. President Donald Trump went on to ink the rare earths deal with Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected Prime Minister of Japan, praising the U.S.-Japanese alliance that has remained robust with time. The White House remarked that the deals, along with the trade deal from the first half of 2025, happen to be paving the way towards a New Golden Age of the ever-growing U.S.-Japan Alliance.

In the context of the minerals deal, the U.S. and Japan both went ahead and agreed to boost cooperation so as to secure the supply of critical minerals along with rare earths, which are essential to support domestic industries, through using policy tools like trade measures where appropriate, financial support mechanisms, and critical mineral stockpiling systems from the United States and Japan. They also look forward to mobilizing government along with private investment in order to support investment within mining and processing and also look to jointly identify projects of interest so as to address the gaps within supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths, which includes the likes of derivative products like permanent magnets, catalysts, and batteries, as well as optical materials.

Apparently, the U.S. deal with Japan goes on to follow a similar $3bn Australia deal that took place recently, which could very well open up access to resources amounting to $53 billion or even more.

It is well to be noted that the U.S. is looking forward to countering the dominance of China in critical minerals and rare earths, which, by the way, Beijing has used as a main tool in the U.S.-China trade war many times in 2025 alone.

President Trump has already met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea’s Busan recently, with positive signs coming from both sides.

In spite of the major agreements along with government support in the West so as to build domestic supply chains, China has also raised its market share when it comes to critical minerals in the past few years, warned the International Energy Agency – IEA earlier in 2025 within its annual report.

It is worth noting that China dominates refining for 19 out of 20 minerals the agency has evaluated, holding an average market share of almost 70%.

Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister, said the deal would go on to support a pipeline of $8.5bn ready-to-go projects, which would expand the mining and processing abilities of his country.

It happens to include $1bn that needs to be invested by the two countries across projects in the US as well as Australia in the next six months, a framework text says.

The US and Australia have been working on such issues ever since Trump’s first term; however, Albanese said that the latest agreement is indeed going to take the partnership to another level.

On October 20, US President Donald Trump also went on to comment on the multi-billion dollar submarine deal of Australia with the US and UK called the Aukus, saying that it was indeed full steam ahead.

Earlier in 2025, the deal was highlighted after the Trump administration remarked that it is going to review the details so as to make sure that it fits with its America First agenda, therefore raising concerns that Australia may not be able to purchase US submarines so as to replace its aging fleet.

Asked if Australia is going to be getting the submarines, Trump said they are getting them.

China at present happens to hold about 70% of rare earth mining as well as 90% of the processing of the materials that happen to be found in everything from defense equipment to computer chips as well as cars.

It is well to be noted that the US companies go on to depend quite heavily on the materials, therefore making them quite susceptible in 2025, as China has already marched ahead to restrict access to the supplies in response to the new US tariffs along with certain other tensions.

The shares in rare earth mining companies from Australia jumped on October 21, 2025, after the announcement was made.

Arafura Rare Earths, which happens to be a Perth-based firm, rose by almost 7.7%, whereas Iluka Resources, another major producer, happened to gain over 3%.

Albanese remarked that the agreement was aimed at making sure that the investment is fast-paced across three types of projects that include US investments when it comes to processing facilities in Australia.

In addition to the news of US and Australia sign rare earths deal, the two countries have also agreed to go ahead and work together on issues like pricing and permitting, as well as rules for government review pertaining to sales of companies as well as projects across the sector.

The US separately went on to say that it would invest in the construction of a 100-tonne-per-year advanced gallium refinery located in Western Australia and was also preparing to provide some $2.2bn in terms of financing in order to advance critical minerals projects through its Export-Import Bank.

The Trump administration recently has already gone on to announce a series of investments across companies like MP Materials, the US rare earth miner, and also Trilogy Metals from Canada and Lithium Americas, which have projects across the US.

In exchange for this support, it has gone on to receive ownership stakes in the firms.

Ahead of the meeting, shares across the Australian companies like Lynas Rare Earths had surged on the prospect of the growing support. Lynas had been awarded a contract by the US Defense Department a few years back and is working on a project located in Texas.

The framework that has been published by the White House happened to be light on details, therefore reflecting the very slight issues at play.

Australia, apparently, happens to be a major source of critical minerals; however, like the US, it depends on China, which is its biggest trade partner, for the processing required so as to turn the materials into something that companies can make use of.

It also went ahead and executed stricter rules that particularly target users within the semiconductor industry thereby compelling that EU seeks to partner with US & G7.

Apparently, China goes on to produce over 90% of the processed rare earths in the world, which are pretty necessary in products like electric vehicles as well as military radars.

These measures had been introduced ahead of the proposed meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

The European Trade Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, went on to describe these measures to be unjustified.

It is well to be noted that the EU trade ministers, while meeting in Denmark, went on to express their critical concern on the issue.

Notably, previous controls by China in April 2025 led to worldwide shortages, effecting industries like car manufacturing, till the time the deals with Europe as well as the US weakened the supply crunch.

Lars Rasmussen, the Danish Foreign Minister, stressed the need for a united and tough EU response, underscoring the significance of partnership with the US.

Rasmussen added that they also need to be quite realistic. This happens to be actually an area of common interest with their friends in the US. If they stick together, they can much better go on to pressure China to act in a just way.

Interestingly, Sefcovic went on to suggest that G7 coordination could very well involve diversifying supply through advancing joint projects in extracting or even processing crucial minerals.

He further said that, of course, these projects do take time; however, with this signal they have received from China, it is quite clear that they have to focus on speeding up these processes as much as they can.

It was very recently reported by the Financial Times that the Pentagon is looking to acquire almost $1bn worth of critical minerals, which is going to be a part of its global spree so as to build stockpiles and at the same time also lessen the dominance shown by China when it comes to these essential metals.

The agreement looks forward to strengthening the rare earth supply chain and at the same time also discovering the cooperation in terms of establishing an integrated rare earth and permanent-magnet production complex within the U.S.

The signing ceremony, which was held at the POSCO Center in Seoul, was attended by President & CEO of POSCO International, Kye-In Lee, as well as the CEO of ReElement Technologies, Mark Jensen, in addition to the Director General for Industrial Supply Chain Policy, Na Sung-hwa, and also the U.S. Deputy Ambassador to Korea, Joseph Yun.

The Integrated Rare Earth and Permanent Magnet Production Complex, which has been planned, is going to be the first U.S. facility in order to achieve full vertical integration when it comes to rare earth and permanent-magnet production, and that too in an integrated industrial complex. It is designed so as to manage every stage, right from securing rare earth raw materials as well as conducting separation and refining to manufacturing scrap and also permanent magnets and recycling as well as end-of-life magnets-all within one facility.

Under this collaboration, POSCO International is going to oversee sourcing in terms of rare earth intermediate materials along with the permanent-magnet business, whereas ReElement is going to offer advanced separation and refining as well as recycling technology. The governments of Korea as well as the United States also took the opportunity to discuss potential financial and policy as well as regulatory support should the project go ahead and move into a full-scale execution.

At present, the global rare earth supply chain goes on to depend pretty heavily on a limited number of countries since the rare earth elements happen to be indispensable for industries like semiconductors and electric vehicles as well as wind power, and hence this concentration goes on to pose certain geopolitical risks along with supply-chain uncertainties, which indeed threaten the global industrial balance.

This collaboration looks forward to diversifying as well as de-risking the supply chains, therefore lessening such risks and, at the same time, creating a base in terms of flexible responses for changes in the demand. Through securing a more stable supply in terms of rare  earth raw materials and, at the same time, strengthening the permanent-magnet production capabilities, this initiative is sure to help with certain long-term, balanced, as well as agile delivery in terms of critical materials for automakers across the world.

It is well to be noted that POSCO International happens to be already expanding its presence across the global permanent-magnet market. Apparently in 2023, the company went ahead and inked a contract with one of the major North American automakers so as to supply almost 7,700 tons of permanent magnets, which would be enough for approximately 3.85 million electric-vehicle motors between 2026 and 2031.

It also concluded an agreement with one of the premium European automakers in order to supply almost 800 tons-sufficient for almost 400,000 electric-vehicle motors right from 2025 to 2034.

ReElement, apparently, is rapidly advancing its economically viable as well as eco-friendly critical mineral refining platform at its Noblesville Commercial Qualification Facility based in Indiana at its Marion Supersite. Making utmost use of advanced chromatographic separation along with purification methods, ReElement happens to be addressing the most intricate segment when it comes to the supply chain while at the same time, building strategic alliances in order to strengthen the critical mineral supply chains across the globe.

Because of this cooperation, POSCO International also plans to widen its value chain so as to solidify its position as a major supplier of components of electric-vehicle drivetrains. Its future plans include providing complete packages pertaining to all parts that are required for drive-motor-core rotors as well as stators to automakers in the domestic as well as international markets.

According to the President & CEO of POSCO International, Kye-In Lee, this agreement is indeed going to help in strengthening the resource security and, at the same time, diversify supply chains for both Korea and the U.S. It also offers an opportunity to decrease the risks of supply-chain concentration and to go ahead and establish a very balanced system in terms of supplying critical materials across domestic as well as international automakers.

As per the CEO of ReElement Technologies, Mark Jensen, their POSCO partnership marks an important step forward as it will combine their patented refining technology with the industrial capabilities of POSCO and hence scale the rare earth processing and also strengthen the U.S.-Korea partnership in order to build resilient as well as sustainable supply chains when it comes to critical materials. He added that together they are going to be proving that innovation as well as collaboration can indeed roll out very secure and long-term solutions for industries as well as nations that happen to depend on these materials.

The International Development Finance Corp. (DFC) happens to be negotiating with Orion Resource Partners, who are based out of New York, in order to set up a joint venture, reported Bloomberg News on September 16. Apparently, the discussions are currently on, and no deal has been finalized as yet.

The $5bn mining investment fund plan goes on to reflect the push by Washington to reduce dependence on Beijing, which happens to dominate mineral processing and also continues to get hold of assets across the world. Both the Trump administration and Orion have stressed the requirement for Western governments to play a major role when it comes to mineral markets.

The International Development Finance Corp. (DFC), which was created in the first term of Trump, has already backed numerous mining projects, which include the loans for graphite production in Mozambique and also railway upgrades across the copper belt of Africa. If given the nod, the Orion venture could very well become the largest-ever commitment by the agency.

Interestingly, Orion, which happens to manage around $8 billion in assets, has in the past partnered with sovereign wealth funds and is at present eyeing deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which apparently is the leading cobalt supplier in the world. The proposed U.S. collaboration would be a reflection of the arrangements made in the past, with each side contributing the same amounts for the $5 billion total.

The DFC is anticipated to expand its mandate in the second term of Trump, potentially doubling the investment capacity it has and also taking on higher-risk projects so as to attract private capital, opined Bloomberg News.

All this doesn’t mean the Dewey Burdock project has been given a go-ahead. Rather, it happens to mean that the project is going to be included in FAST-41 program, which happens to be a federal process that is meant to enhance the coordination among the permitting agencies and, at the same time, also hold them accountable when it comes to deadlines. Apparently, the 25-person federal Permitting Council says that it can very well slash 18 months from the review time of the project.

The Dewey Burdock project, which is named for rural locations that are near to Edgemont along the southwestern edge of the Black Hills, has been in the works for almost a couple of decades. It needs umpteen federal and state as well as local permits and has been completely involved in administrative as well as court appeals for many years now.

Apparently, the FAST-41 program was developed by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, which was signed into law by the then-President Barack Obama back in 2015. Coverage originally went on to focus upon transportation infrastructure. It was thereafter expanded to certain mining projects at the time of the final days of the first presidential administration of Donald Trump in 2021.

It is worth noting that Trump went ahead and signed an executive order earlier in 2025 that directed the federal officials to speed up the domestic critical mineral production, which includes the likes of copper, titanium, zinc, and uranium. His administration happens to be increasingly using FAST-41 program in order to carry out the order.

As per the company, the project could very well begin working in two years.

William Sheriff, the Executive Chairman of EnCore Energy, said in a news release that the Texas-based company is indeed focused on building a stronger domestic supply when it comes to clean and affordable energy and also providing economic stimulus to southwest South Dakota. It is well to be noted that uranium is a major ingredient when it comes to nuclear power production.

The head of communications for enCore, Janet Lee-Sheriff, said the company had already applied for FAST-41 program with the hope that it was a public, open, and transparent process that had crystal-clear guidelines.

Apparently, the fast-track process can very well be misconstrued as pushing permitting like a bulldozer, said Lee-Sheriff; however, there lies no guarantee that the project is going to get the approval.

Lee-Sheriff said that the reason they went ahead and applied was due to the fact that they wanted the federal process coordinated in order to give the state the level of confidence that the project will or probably will not move forward.

The fact is that once the permits are very well dealt with when it comes to the federal level, the state can very well begin its own permitting process.

Apparently, in the next couple of months, the Permitting Council is going to come up with a schedule that federal agencies as well as the company are anticipated to meet. There would be updates, which will be posted to the product page of the company at the federal Permitting Dashboard.

The point is that if everything happens to go as per the plan, as per Lee-Sheriff, the project could very well get the clearance by way of the federal process by 2026, and the process of state permitting could thereafter start.

Lee-Sheriff added that in their best case, the state will get involved once it sees this moving forward at the federal level and that they would then be able to advance the project to the realms of development in the next two years.

Opponents look to continue challenging the project

In a news release, EnCore said that its method is going to have a minimal surface disturbance as compared to the open pits and tunnels that were used to mine uranium within the same area right from the 1950s to the ’70s. Lee-Sheriff went on to describe the operation as a series of beehives having piping underground.

As a matter of fact, this method is called in situ mining, which is drilling wells so as to inject a water-based solution underground, dissolving the uranium and, at the same time, pumping it to the surface. The water would then get pulled from the local aquifers and thereafter get treated and pumped back to the underground post being used for mining, therefore causing the opponents to fear pollution of the local sources of water.

Black Hills Clean Water Alliance executive director Lilias Jarding said that the organization was formed in 2009 in response to the Dewey Burdock project. She remarked that the organization is going to continue to oppose the project due to its potential threat when it comes to groundwater and the people who happen to depend on it.

Jarding added that there is indeed a danger to water as well as human health, and these are primarily the two main threats.

Interestingly, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, along with the NDN Collective, has also gone ahead and opposed the project due to concerns about the potential impacts when it comes to historic and cultural sites across the Black Hills, which happen to be central to some traditional spiritual beliefs as well as practices for the tribe.

There is one more company named Clean Nuclear Energy Corp. that filed a uranium exploration permit application in South Dakota in 2024 so as to explore more uranium deposits lined along the Black Hills’ southwestern edge. That application, which happens to be also opposed by the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, is still under the State Board of Minerals and Environment’s consideration.

The approval from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement indicates more than 300 well-paying jobs and ensures more than 300 high-paying jobs, strengthening Montana’s economy while furthering the Trump administration’s commitment to American Energy Dominance. Notably, the coal mine in Montana from the Rosebud Mine powers the Colstrip and Rosebud power plants that have the ability to generate more than 1,500 megawatts of electricity, which can power well over a million homes. The projected annual royalties to be paid to the federal government are over $9 million.

“This administration is focused on unleashing American energy, creating good-paying jobs and restoring economic certainty for our communities,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Adam Suess. “By responsibly developing our domestic coal resources, we’re reducing reliance on foreign energy, strengthening national security and powering America’s future.”

The mining plan modification is consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order 14241, Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production and Executive Order 14261, Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry. The modification of expansion of coal mine in  Montana also supports Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum’s emphasis on energy independence, rural prosperity and permitting certainty.

The doubling of levies, in response to the Canadian province of Ontario placing a 25% tariff on electricity coming into the US, take effect from 12 March 2025.

Physical market consumers of aluminium usually pay the London Metal Exchange (LME) benchmark aluminium price plus a premium covering taxes, transportation and handling expenses.

As producers pass on as much of the additional tariffs as they can, traders forecast premiums will keep rising.

Most basic and alloyed aluminium imported into the United States comes from Canadian smelters. The building, packaging, and transportation sectors all depend on aluminium.

Information source Trade Data Monitor (TDM) indicates that almost 70%, or 3.92 million metric tonnes of the main and alloyed aluminium exported to the United States last year originated from Canada. Originally intended to be a 25% tax, researchers have projected that the premium would have had to grow to 47 cents a pound or more than $1,000 a tonne to cover any additional expenses.

The US Midwest duty-paid aluminium premium surged to 45 US cents per lb, or more than $990 a metric tonne, a change of about 20%. Since 2025’s beginning, it has risen more than seventy percent.

In 2018, Trump intended to boost capacity by using taxes on aluminium under his previous presidency.

Analysts were dubious investors would be confidence to pay the big capital amounts needed since aluminium smelters take more time to build than political election cycles. Although US consumers’ premiums have increased, industry sources have indicated they are probably going to continue declining elsewhere as aluminium manufactured in nations with import taxes is redirected.

The lowest since January last year, the duty-paid physical market premium in Europe has decreased to $240 a metric tonne. Since 2025 started, it has dropped more than 35%. 

This marks a significant step forward in decarbonizing mining operations, as the technology includes the first commercially available retrofit hybrid system for mining equipment. These solutions aim to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) for miners while accelerating the adoption of low-carbon technologies.

“This acquisition is an important step forward in our goal to lead our Power Systems customers through the energy transition,” said Jenny Bush, President of Power Systems at Cummins. “With First Mode’s hybrid retrofit technology, we are accelerating our ability to provide decarbonization solutions that meet miners’ need to drive down operating costs today.”

Strengthening Decarbonization Efforts

This acquisition reinforces Cummins’ commitment to offering innovative solutions to help the mining industry transition toward a lower-carbon future. By incorporating product hybridization and clean fuels like ethanol and methanol, Cummins is enabling miners to extend the lifecycle of their existing equipment fleets while reducing carbon emissions.

Cummins aims to bring flexibility and confidence to miners through solutions such as hybrid retrofit kits, modular upgrades, and scalable technologies—all developed in collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tested in real-world environments.

A Global Reach for Change

With its vast global service network, Cummins is fully equipped to provide seamless integration and ongoing support for its hybrid solutions within mining and rail sectors. By investing in decarbonization technologies and developing bridge solutions, Cummins is helping miners not only adapt to today’s evolving technologies but also prepare for future innovations.

Driving Innovation with First Mode

Through this acquisition, Cummins has positioned itself as a leader in the energy transition within mining and rail industries. First Mode’s proven expertise and technologies will operate under Cummins’ Power Systems industrial segment, with the transition already underway as First Mode continues to meet customer demands and ship products in Q1.

Cummins also emphasizes the importance of meeting both sustainability goals and operational efficiency while providing cost-effective technologies, paving the way for advancements in mining decarbonization.