Victories for U.S. minerals mining in 2024; Charting the path forward into 2025

Celebrating a successful year in minerals mining

The United States’ mineral mining industry saw many successes through 2024, and the National Mining Association (NMA) continued to advocate for U.S. minerals production and mining legislation and remains at the forefront of policy discussions. Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen conversations and support around domestic minerals mining grow and we’re excited to continue advocating for policies that strengthen American industries.

Most recently, the House of Representatives voted to pass the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 in early December 2024. Once signed by the President, this historic bill will open the door for mining companies, conservation groups, local stakeholders and other “Good Samaritans,” who have no legal or financial responsibility or prior connection to a site, to clean up and restore the natural environment at Abandoned Mine Lands (AML). We applaud Congress for their efforts to pass this bipartisan legislation, which has been decades in the making, and look forward to the President signing the bill into law.

MINExpo INTERNATIONAL® 2024 showed that the minerals mining community is stronger than ever.

The NMA hosted the world’s largest mining show at the Las Vegas Convention Center in September. MINExpo® happens every four years, and this year’s event put up some impressive statistics:

• 45,000+ visitors and mining leaders
• 2,000+ exhibitors from more than 148 countries
• A show floor covering more than 14 football fields of space

The state of the industry is strong, but there is still much more to do in Washington to support our industry’s ability to meet the world’s needs.

There is still a lot left to do

As 118th Congress concludes, several key pieces of minerals mining legislation continue to await approval: The Mining Schools Act, The Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2024, and The Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. Together, these bills would support the development of tomorrow’s mining workforce, improve coordination between federal agencies for crucial minerals decisions, and address the long, costly and uncertain process for approving domestic minerals mines.

S&P Global released an insightful report this year, finding the United States has the second longest lead time in the world for developing new minerals mines, second only to Zambia. Because of a cumbersome and uncoordinated permitting process, U.S. minerals mines take an average of almost 30 years to move from discovery to development. Kicking these issues down the road will mean extending U.S. reliance for minerals imports. The country cannot afford to wait while technological advancement drives historic minerals demands and China expands its dominance of global minerals markets.

Despite these challenges, the minerals industry still received important approvals for projects that will help secure domestic supply chains, including Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron project in Nevada. Perpetua Resources’ antimony and gold project in Idaho also expects full approval by the end of the year.

Looking forward to 2025

As the Trump-Vance administration and the 119^th Congress prepare to take the reins, U.S. minerals mine permitting reform should be at the top of their agenda. This past year further confirmed the dangers of relying on China for minerals imports as China began restricting exports of antimony, gallium and germanium – minerals essential to U.S. military and commercial technology. The administration and Congress must prioritize internal solutions to supply chain gaps, including minerals mining and permitting reform, to shore up American industries against the threat of adversarial trade policies.

We’ve made a lot of progress raising national awareness on this issue in 2024, but the momentum must continue into the new year to protect the United States’ most crucial industries. Every American has a stake in the development of domestic mines to maintain their quality of life. Let’s bring minerals mining home, because minerals are the foundation of our future.