Americans Agree: A Strong Domestic Mining Industry Is Essential to National Security

Americans Agree: A Strong Domestic Mining Industry Is Essential to National Security

Americans are ready to build our future on a foundation of strong domestic mining, instead of relying on China, according to a new survey conducted for the National Mining Association by the Harris Poll. Eighty-three percent of Americans – more than eight in 10 people – say that increased U.S. minerals production is essential to our economic and national security.

“Americans want to build our economic, energy and national security on the foundation of a strong domestic mining industry.” — Rich Nolan, President and CEO of National Mining Association

The consensus view of Americans is rooted in reality—they are right to be concerned. Our mineral supply chains face genuine, escalating threats, as revealed by data from this year’s USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries. In 2025, the United States was 100 percent dependent on imports for 16 non-fuel minerals and 50 percent or more reliant on imports for 54 minerals.

This doesn’t just place us at an economic disadvantage – it’s also a national security liability that China has repeatedly weaponized through export restrictions, directly threatening America’s defense capabilities.

Minerals Are the Foundation of American Defense

Virtually every component of modern military equipment depends on minerals. Military modernization, advanced weapons systems, cyber defense infrastructure – all of it hinges on reliable access to minerals.

This vulnerability extends beyond defense manufacturing to the technologies that underpin our broader economic competitiveness: semiconductors for AI, data centers and computing, rare earths for advanced manufacturing, lithium and cobalt for energy and infrastructure.

Yet despite this clear public consensus and the genuine national security threats we face, America’s mineral production remains constrained by regulatory barriers and permitting delays that have no parallel among our competitors. While China has systematically secured its position as the world’s dominant mineral supplier, America remains trapped in decades-long permitting delays that effectively prevent domestic production from expanding.

The Path Forward

The American public has issued a clear verdict – domestic minerals production matters to our security and prosperity. Every export restriction China places on us, every delay in America’s permitting process and every year of growing import reliance strengthens our adversaries’ leverage over our future.

The question now is whether Washington will act with the urgency this moment demands. The resources are here. The public support is clear. What we need now is the political will for American mining to secure the minerals foundation our nation’s defense and economic leadership require.