US worries about its dependence on mineral supplies

A report from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that in 2015, the United States began to rely more on outside sources of metals and made less money from its mines. Concerns have been raised that for many years the United States has been overly dependent on other countries, namely rare earths from China for the aerospace and electronics industries, leading to a desire to create strategic mineral reserves.

In 2015, the United States was 100 percent dependent on other countries for the supply of 19 minerals, including manganese, bauxite, and graphite. The map from the report shows that the US is most dependent on Canada and China, followed by South Africa. The US is also more than 50 percent dependent on supplies of 4-6 minerals from Australia, Brazil, Ukraine, Russia, Great Britain, India, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Mexico.

The report states: “This dependence on external sources of critical minerals illustrates the interdependence of the global community and growing concern about the adequacy of the supply of mineral resources for future generations. Will our children have the resources they need to provide the standard of living they want? "