U.S. Mining executives warn of “frantic scramble” for critical mineral acquisitions globally, call on Washington for “industrial vision” – NaturalNews.com

• U.S. mining executives warn that current federal support for critical minerals is insufficient and lacks a cohesive strategy to compete with China.
• Industry leaders call for an “industrial vision,” including pressure on Indonesia to curb nickel output and faster government loan approvals.
• Despite recent investments, companies describe a “frantic scramble” within a confusing web of federal agencies, hindering progress.
• As the mining industry becomes increasingly dependent on government and its exploitation, it actually becomes more inefficient, unable to compete with China.

‘Frantic scramble’: Industry leaders say U.S. critical minerals push lacks coherent strategy

While the Trump administration touts billion-dollar investments in critical minerals, the companies on the front lines of rebuilding America’s supply chains say the effort remains disjointed, slow, and inadequate to the scale of the Chinese challenge. Executives from three key U.S. mining and refining firms told the Reuters NEXT conference in New York on Thursday that Washington’s surge in support this year is falling short. They issued a unified call for a comprehensive national “industrial vision,” faster bureaucratic processes, and direct diplomatic pressure on foreign competitors, arguing that without a more aggressive and coordinated plan, the U.S. will remain dependent on adversaries for the materials that power modern life and defense.

The executives—from Perpetua Resources, American Rare Earths, and Westwin Elements—highlighted a critical gap between political rhetoric and operational reality. Mckinsey Lyon of Perpetua Resources, which is developing an antimony and gold mine in Idaho with national security-focused funding from JPMorgan Chase, described the current environment as a “frantic scramble” by the government to understand a confusing web of agencies. “Companies are getting some solutions, but what’s not happening right now is a comprehensive strategy or road map,” Lyon said. This lack of a master plan, they argue, allows China to maintain its overwhelming dominance by simply outmaneuvering piecemeal American efforts.

Calls for an integrated plan and global pressure

The industry’s requests go far beyond requests for more subsidy checks. They are a demand for the U.S. government to wield its full economic and diplomatic power strategically. Melissa Sanderson, a director at American Rare Earths, which is working on a rare earths mine in Wyoming, called for an “integrated plan” that maps the entire supply chain from mine to magnet. “What we need is an integrated plan for building the critical minerals supply chain with all of the myriad inputs, antimony, nickel, copper, rare earths and how that flows through to the battery makers, to the magnet manufacturers, to the various end-users,” said Sanderson, a former diplomat.

Perhaps the most striking proposal came from KaLeigh Long, CEO of Westwin Elements, which is building the only planned nickel refinery in the U.S. in Oklahoma. She openly urged the Trump administration to pressure Indonesia to limit its nickel production, which has flooded the global market and crashed prices. “I’m really urging the U.S. government to think simple,” Long said. “In terms of nickel, let’s get a quota on Indonesian production. You do that, and I can almost promise you that overnight you will see a cure in the nickel price.” This call for direct market intervention against a foreign competitor underscores the level of state-versus-state competition the industry believes it is in. Long dismissed the idea of a U.S. price floor for nickel as impractical, arguing that controlling foreign supply is the only viable solution.

The bottleneck of bureaucracy

A consistent complaint centered on the sluggish pace of government financing mechanisms designed to help. Both Perpetua and Westwin have applied for large loans from the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM), which offers favorable terms for projects deemed strategically important. Perpetua has asked for $1.8 billion. However, the approval process is notoriously slow. “EXIM debt could allow us to execute on our commercial expansion, but the underwriting needs to speed up,” Long stated. “They just simply need more processability and more people, basically.” This bureaucratic bottleneck, the executives contend, cedes the advantage to China, where state-backed financing is swift and decisive.

The executives also highlighted the unique challenges of different minerals. Sanderson noted that rare earths, unlike nickel, lack a transparent global pricing mechanism like the London Metal Exchange (LME), and China controls the market. “It would be helpful if LME were to develop a pricing mechanism for rare earths, but the question becomes, ‘Would China actually honor it?’” she said. Until such transparency exists, she argued, direct price supports from the U.S. government are essential for rare earth projects to attract investment. The collective message from industry is clear: while Washington has acknowledged the critical minerals crisis, its response remains a patchwork. Beating China, they insist, requires not just money, but a ruthless, coordinated, and strategically agile industrial policy that the U.S. has not yet mustered.

Sources include:

Mining.com

Axios.com

Enoch, Brighteon.ai