The Trump administration announced an expansion of the U.S. critical minerals list to include copper and metallurgical coal.

The updated list guides federal investments, permitting decisions, and shapes the government’s broader minerals strategy.

The big picture: This move supports efforts to increase domestic mining and reduce dependence on imports, especially from China. • Critical minerals are deemed vital for national security, economic stability, and supply chain resilience, underpinning key industries and infrastructure. • Copper plays a crucial role in electric vehicles, power grids, data centers, power generation, electronics, and construction. • Metallurgical coal is important for making coke, which is used in steel production.

Go deeper: The list helps determine which pr

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