US Agency Proposes Including Copper in Critical Minerals
The Metal Is Used in Transportation
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Copper and potash have been included in the U.S. Geological Survey’s draft list of critical minerals — a further step in clearing the way for broader policy support.
The two commodities are among a list of 54 proposed for inclusion on the 2025 List of Critical Minerals, according to a notice in the Federal Register.
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.
READ MORE: US Copper Firms Hike Prices Even After Trump Tariff Reprieve
The Trump administration has made the revival of U.S. 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.
Meanwhile, much of the U.S.’s potash, a key crop fertilizer, is imported from Canada. Those shipments have so far been spared from tariffs as part of an exemption for goods under a North American free trade agreement.
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