Payne Institute for Public Policy’s Post

In a new academic article in the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, researchers Gregory Wischer and Dr. Morgan Bazilian explore the concept of "mineral power" and how it influences a nation's military capabilities. https://lnkd.in/ebN6ChKu Through historical case studies of the United States and #China, the authors find a strong correlation between a country's access to secure mineral supplies and its ability to project #militarypower as a great power. The key variables defining a nation's #mineralpower include domestic mineral #production, government #stockpiles, overseas operations by domestic companies, and #imports from aligned states. The research suggests that as nations rise to great-power status, they exhibit considerable mineral power to meet the mineral demands of heightened #defenseproduction and military forces. For the United States, escalating strategic competition with China poses risks to America's continued access to critical mineral imports, which the authors argue could undermine US military strength. Policy recommendations outline ways for the US government to enhance domestic production, stockpiles, overseas acquisitions, and aligned mineral imports to bolster American mineral power. Read the full article for an insightful analysis on this crucial issue at the nexus of economic #statecraft and #nationalsecurity. What are your perspectives on the role of mineral power? We'd love to hear your thoughts. #environmentalsecurity #IndoPacific Air University Press Air University Dei Gratia Minerals Payne Institute for Public Policy Colorado School of Mines Council on Foreign Relations Climate Change Advisory Council Ireland U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Pacific Air Forces

Bipartisan U.S. Senators introduce another bill to "Curb China's dominance in key mineral sectors" - #NationalSecurity Critical minerals, such as #lithium, #nickel, #cobalt, and rare earth elements #REE, are necessary inputs for technologies that play critical roles in our national security, including military equipment and defense systems, as well as emerging technologies such as electric vehicles and storage for our power grid. China, although it has only about 30 percent of global rare earth reserves, controls 50-60 percent of their global extraction and 80-90 percent of the market at the intermediate processing stage. Currently, 98% of the #EU's supply of rare earths comes from China. In contrast, #US dependence is estimated to be around 80%. The #UnitedStates was the major global player in rare earths from World War II until the early 1990s. Beginning in the 1980s, however, government investment ceased and basic research came to a halt. By the 1990s, the public-private investment mechanism disappeared, while #China had begun to effectively use very similar policies to facilitate the growth of its domestic sector. Today, China holds a commanding position in the global rare earth supply chain, from mining to processing to end uses. Chinese dominance in the rare earth industry is a matter of politics, not geography. Read today's in-depth report from #ExtremaRatio https://lnkd.in/dAxMjp6B

Congrats to our colleague and former network guest researcher Meike Schulze for publishing the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Comment "Security of Supply in Times of Geo-economic Fragmentation" 👏 💡 "The recent political consensus on the European Critical Raw Materials Act marks a significant step towards a common raw materials policy within the European Union. Against the backdrop of increasing geopolitical tensions, the EU aims to bolster its “strategic autonomy” within its raw material supply chains. To achieve this goal, it is essential for the EU and its member states to enhance collaboration with mineral-rich third countries. The current geopolitical environment will require a concerted effort on the part of the EU with respect to its raw material diplomacy, as only through such effective engagement will the EU be able to diplomatically and programmatically implement raw material partnerships that appeal to third countries." The German version can be found at https://lnkd.in/eUr6ZeJR #CRMA #EU #criticalminerals #geopolitics #globalsouth #mining

Bipartisan U.S. Senators introduce another bill to "Curb China's dominance in key mineral sectors" - #NationalSecurity Critical minerals, such as #lithium, #nickel, #cobalt, and rare earth elements #REE, are necessary inputs for technologies that play critical roles in our national security, including military equipment and defense systems, as well as emerging technologies such as electric vehicles and storage for our power grid. China, although it has only about 30 percent of global rare earth reserves, controls 50-60 percent of their global extraction and 80-90 percent of the market at the intermediate processing stage. Currently, 98% of the #EU's supply of rare earths comes from China. In contrast, #US dependence is estimated to be around 80%. The #UnitedStates was the major global player in rare earths from World War II until the early 1990s. Beginning in the 1980s, however, government investment ceased and basic research came to a halt. By the 1990s, the public-private investment mechanism disappeared, while #China had begun to effectively use very similar policies to facilitate the growth of its domestic sector. Today, China holds a commanding position in the global rare earth supply chain, from mining to processing to end uses. Chinese dominance in the rare earth industry is a matter of politics, not geography. Read today's in-depth report from #ExtremaRatio https://lnkd.in/dExFPEHM

In the new edition of the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, Dr. Morgan Bazilian and I discuss the concept of "mineral power" and how a state’s mineral power influences its military power. We assess the United States in the early 20th century and China in the early 21st century, finding mineral power helps enable military power. We base mineral power on a state’s access to minerals from four key sources: (1) domestic production, (2) government stockpiles, (3) overseas production by domestic companies, and (4) aligned imports, which are imports from states aligned geopolitically or commercially with the importing state. We find that the United States was a rising great power and had great mineral power in the early 20th century and that China is a rising great power and has great mineral power in the early 21st century. These results indicate that a state’s mineral power helps enable its military power. Today—unlike prior periods of great power rivalry—the United States is the weaker mineral power versus China, and it heavily relies on China for minerals, posing serious cutoff risks. US mineral shortages could severely undermine US military capabilities, especially in a US-China conflict. To grow its mineral power, the US government should support domestic mineral production, increase mineral stockpiles, facilitate overseas mineral acquisitions, and foster supply agreements with aligned states. In the interim, it should also use its trade leverage to ensure continued access to Chinese minerals by warning of potential export controls on certain technologies should China impose restrictions on mineral exports. Special thanks to Dr. Ernest "Doc" Gunasekara-Rockwell for his superb editing and help on the article. https://lnkd.in/e63biXqV

Big move for Europe’s mineral independence & Military Metals Corp! Under the leadership of CEO Scott Eldridge, Military has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Slovakia’s Trojarova project, one of the largest antimony deposits in the EU. This acquisition marks a huge step forward for Europe's mineral independence, securing critical resources essential to technology, defense, and energy. Antimony, recognized as a critical mineral by the European Union, United States, and Canada, has become a key strategic asset amid rising geopolitical pressures. This acquisition not only aligns with the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act but also ensures a more resilient, self-sufficient future for Europe. With invaluable insights from geological consultant Avrom E. Howard and a foundation of extensive historical research by the Slovak Geological Institute, Military Metals is set to make a substantial impact on Europe’s mineral market. (🇨🇦 MILI | 🇺🇸 MILIF) #MilitaryMetals #ScottEldridge #AvromHoward #Antimony #CriticalMinerals #Europe #MineralIndependence #GeopoliticalResilience #SlovakGeologicalInstitute https://lnkd.in/gzx-G53p

In the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, DGM Principal Gregory Wischer coauthored an article that discusses the concept of "mineral power" and how a state’s mineral power influences its military power. It assesses the United States in the early 20th century and China in the early 21st century, finding mineral power helps enable military power. https://lnkd.in/ePzrczCu The article calculates mineral power on a state’s access to minerals from four key sources: (1) domestic production, (2) government stockpiles, (3) overseas production by domestic companies, and (4) aligned imports, which are imports from states aligned geopolitically or commercially with the importing state. The article finds that the United States was a rising great power and had great mineral power in the early 20th century and that China is a rising great power and has great mineral power in the early 21st century. These results indicate that a state’s mineral power helps enable its military power. Today—unlike prior periods of great power rivalry—the United States is the weaker mineral power versus China, and it heavily relies on China for minerals, posing serious cutoff risks. US mineral shortages could severely undermine US military capabilities, especially in a US-China conflict. To grow its mineral power, the US government should support domestic mineral production, increase mineral stockpiles, facilitate overseas mineral acquisitions, and foster supply agreements with aligned states. In the interim, it should also use its trade leverage to ensure continued access to Chinese minerals by warning of potential export controls on certain technologies should China impose restrictions on mineral exports.

With multiple Republican-led initiatives in the House, Senate and government agencies focussed on securing the U.S.’ role in this emerging industry, it’s set to be an exciting 12 months! #deepseamining #energytransition #nationalsecurity #criticalminerals #supplychain

https://lnkd.in/g9m5ehZ9. And now it's countering China time... lots of piece about this subject over the past 2 weeks or so. Bill calls for examining "imposing duties on #criticalminerals from #China, creating a fund to support #FDI in critical minerals, and developing workplace programs to train Americans." Bill also would "create a diplomatic mechanism to support overseas American private-sector projects related to critical minerals; enhance public-private information sharing; and expand collaboration with NATO countries and non-Nato allies and partners." #nationalsecurity #diversification #decoupling #supplychains #supplychainresilience #rareearths #lithium #cobalt #nickel #cleantech #dualuse South China Morning Post SCMP Bochen Han

Great article to help understand how the United States views security and trade issues and how Canada used to benefit from this. Défendez le Saguenay! CFB Bagotville was built to protect the Canadian aluminum supply needed build the Arsenal of Demoracy and win the war. 'Team Canada' and our American friends must understand this history and realize that critical minerals, managed trade and NORAD modernization are central to maintaining the historic Canada-US security and trade alliance. https://lnkd.in/ewmKfrbV