S&P Global: “US, EU to Further Intensify Critical Mineral Investments as China Tightens Hold”
RFF Fellow Beia Spiller comments on recent moves by the federal government to secure critical mineral resources.
“The US energy department also invested in Lithium Americas, taking a 5 percent equity stake in the company to help finance the construction of a lithium carbonate manufacturing facility in Nevada.
‘This feels very different because rather than saying, ‘We’re going to save a failing industry,’ what seems to be the rationale for these is, ‘Let’s actually launch this industry,’ Beia Spiller, a critical minerals expert and director of [the] transportation program at research nonprofit Resources for the Future, said of the government investments in private companies. Deals between countries may be more cohesive for building supply chains and creating structures that can protect markets, Spiller said ...
Spiller also pointed to the Critical Minerals Production Alliance, a G7 initiative involving member nations and several partner countries that aims to diversify and secure global critical minerals production and supply ...
‘I think these international deals are probably more interesting from securing a very reliable supply chain because they are broad and it’s not choosing winners,’ Spiller said.”
