During his first year, President Trump has been globetrotting attempting to ink trade deals, repair tattered relationships, and attract manufacturing back to America.

However, no mission has been more crucial than his recent trip to South Korea, Japan, and China. Behind the bluster of new “reciprocal” tariffs was the simple fact that China is not only a manufacturing, trading, and military challenge but it is our primary supplier of strategic metals.

Not only is America short of rare minerals, but metals such as iron, copper, and aluminum. Weaning ourselves from foreign critical metals suppliers is a key Trump priority.

Aside from the 17 rare minerals, the United States produces 37 of the 50 critical minerals named by the U.S. Geological Survey.

“However, we lack a strong domestic supply chain, making the country heavily dependent on imports for most of its mineral needs,” the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, a Congressional bipartisan group, reported.

In 2024, the United States imported all of 12 critical minerals and more than half of another 28. China dominates global supply chains, being the top producer of 60% of U.S.-designated critical minerals and is also the leading source for nine of 13 minerals for which the United States is most import-reliant.

The problem is growing worldwide. Consumption of metals is increasing at a rate that cannot support population growth without changes in how we use and produce metals.

Metals are vital for our existence, and their demand has never been higher. The world's growing population, the current 8.2 billion, is expected to increase 25% over the next 30 years, Materials Today reported.

Yet America, which once looked to the Pacific Northwest as the primary supplier of critical metals, no longer does. For example, five primary copper and silver smelters in Montana, northern Idaho, and Washington have been closed and razed.  Today, copper ore concentrates are sent overseas, mostly to Japan, for smelting.

By the end of World War II, America produced 40% of global aluminum. However, by 2021, the U.S. had less than 2% market share, Light Metal Age, an industry magazine reported. Production capacity grew in the Pacific Northwest as more low-cost hydropower came online. As electricity costs climbed, smelters closed.

The decline of U.S. aluminum coincides with the meteoric rise in Chinese production. By 2000, China’s capacity skyrocketed by over 2,000% and now accounts for 57% of global capacity.

While the President’s focus in China was rare, traditional metals used in buildings and bridges, transmission of energy by pipe or wire, and defense products can’t be overshadowed.

Rare-earth elements are necessary components of more than 200 products across a wide range of applications, especially high-tech consumer products, such as cellular telephones, computer hard drives, electric and hybrid vehicles, and flat screen monitors and televisions. Significant defense applications include electronic displays, guidance systems, lasers, and radar and sonar systems.

The United States is discovering new deposits of rare ore. Unfortunately, they are mined and shipped to China for refining. The Chinese have 90% of the processing technology.

Since AI is the coming fad, here is the AI analysis:  

“While the U.S. cannot yet supply all its critical and rare metals from recycling, but it could significantly bolster its supply chain by improving recycling efforts and using other sources like mine waste.

Recycling is an indispensable part of a resilient supply chain for materials like aluminum, cobalt, and nickel, but challenges remain, including the low cost of traditional mining in some areas, gaps in research and development for new recycling processes, and the limited supply of discarded products containing these minerals.”

That’s encouraging news. Our current recycling rate is nearly a third of waste and targeted to grow to half by 2033.

Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer, and columnist. He is a former president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. Contact [email protected]