China’s Export Bans Raise the Stakes for U.S. Minerals

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
October 30, 2025

Dear Friends,

During this period of government shutdown, I know your focus is divided among many urgent priorities. I appreciate your continued engagement on the national security and economic issues that cannot pause—including the critical need to strengthen America’s mineral supply chains. As China leverages export controls on key minerals, supply chain vulnerabilities are pushing minerals security to the center of the conversation.

In recent months, China has expanded restrictions on exports of rare earth elements and other strategic minerals, using its controls as geopolitical leverage. These restrictions directly threaten core U.S. sectors—defense, manufacturing, advanced energy and the technologies behind smartphones, semiconductors and AI data centers—all of which depend on minerals for components, magnets, batteries and specialized materials.

Our leaders have shown a clear shift in policy priorities in response to these external threats. We are now increasingly focused on advancing responsible domestic mining, rebuilding onshore processing capacity and modernizing project permitting. Through executive actions by the Trump administration, we’ve been able to align efforts across federal agencies, state and industry partners, and alleviate bureaucratic red tape. In Congress, bipartisan proposals such as the SPEED Act and Mining Regulatory Clarity Act can help codify some of these actions, streamlining duplicative reviews and providing regulatory certainty.

We are also focusing on people and capital. Public and private investment in domestic mining is growing, and we are taking steps to ensure the mining workforce is prepared to meet that demand.

The United States must ramp up domestic production to restore supply chain resilience and reduce vulnerabilities. We’ve built momentum over the past year toward American minerals independence. By acting quickly, the United States can secure our minerals supply, protect national security and strengthen American competitiveness.

Thank you,

Rich Nolan
National Mining Association (NMA)
President and CEO