Battery metals such as lithium and cobalt, as well as platinum group metals, are on the US government’s list of critical minerals.

The list, announced in the Federal Register, finalizes a draft list of 35 minerals that was released in February in response to an executive order issued last December regarding “A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals.”

“The United States is heavily reliant on imports of certain mineral commodities that are vital to the Nation’s security and economic prosperity,” the Federal Register notice said.

“This dependency of the United States on foreign sources creates a strategic vulnerability for both its economy and military to adverse foreign government action, natural disaster, and other events that can disrupt supply of these key minerals,”…. CLICK for the complete article