US Now 100% Dependent on 19 Strategic Rare Metals & Minerals – 11 of Those From China

The United States is now tied for last, with Papua New Guinea, in the time it takes to get a permit for a new rare metal or mineral mine. The United States is now 100% dependent on 19 strategic rare metals and minerals, 11 of those are from China.
American Resources Policy Network Principal  Daniel McGroarty wrote about this crisis in The Wall Street Journal today.

A century ago, plentiful elements like iron, lead, and copper fueled our Nation’s transition to an industrial economy. But today, many of the materials that characterize the industrial cutting-edge—such as rare earths, indium, and lithium—are not as naturally abundant or easy to access as their predecessors…

…Jobs and capital increasingly flow to countries that command the resources to power modern manufacturing, and American manufacturing is more dependent on metals and minerals access than ever before. Yet there is no country on the planet where it takes longer to get a permit for domestic mining. Among other consequences of this red tape, there are now 19 strategic metals and minerals for which the U.S. is currently 100% import-dependent—and for 11 of them a single country, China, is among the top three providers.

The  American Resources Policy Network has more on the crisis.