(Bloomberg) —
Copper and potash are among six new proposed additions to the US Geological Survey’s latest list of critical minerals — a further step in clearing the way for broader policy support.
The two commodities join lead, rhenium, silicon and silver as additions to the 2025 draft list of 54 critical minerals, according to a Federal Register notice seeking public comment. The USGS also said it intends to analyze the potential for including uranium and metallurgical coal. Arsenic and tellurium are recommended for removal.
The copper industry has been loudly pushing for critical-mineral status to reflect the metal’s importance to the economy and national security. Inclusion on the list would enable funding incentives and streamlined permitting for exploration, mining and processing projects.
The Trump administration has made the revival of US metals and minerals production a key priority. That has taken a particular focus around copper, which is used in homes, the electric grid and transportation.
After a 30-day public comment period, the USGS will have 15 days to deliver analysis and comments to the Secretary of the Interior, who will publish the final list 30 days later.
The National Mining Association applauded the inclusion of minerals that are essential to infrastructure, national security and technological leadership, while saying that all minerals should be considered critical.
“Copper fits that description perfectly: it underpins electrification, defense, and clean energy, while its supply chains are increasingly under pressure,” said Juan Ignacio Diaz, head of the International Copper Association. “Recognizing copper as critical is good for America because it secures the foundation of its competitiveness and energy transition.”
The Fertilizer Institute, the industry’s lobby, has also been pushing for designating potash as a critical mineral in order to make a better case for tariff exemptions. The Trump Administration in March issued a separate executive order supporting higher domestic production of minerals including potash, a key crop fertilizer.
Much of the potash used in the US is shipped from Canada, which accounts for roughly 80% of imports of the mineral. Those supplies have so far been spared from tariffs as part of an exemption for goods under a North American free trade agreement.
Shares in fertilizer companies climbed after publication of the notice, with Mosaic Co. adding as much as 4.5%, and Nutrien Ltd. rising as much as 2.9%, before trimming gains.
Fifty minerals on the draft list were included based on the results of an assessment of economic effects, while zirconium was included because of the potential for a single point of failure within the domestic supply chain, according to an Interior Department statement. Three were retained based on a qualitative evaluation.
“On America’s balance sheet, the loss of even one critical mineral can ripple through entire industries, from semiconductors to defense systems, undermining production capacity, technology leadership, and American jobs,” the department said.
(Corrects schedule for publication of the final list in fifth paragraph in story originally published Aug. 25)
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