Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to Reduce Reliance on China for Critical Minerals

Rare-earth minerals produced by Australia's Lynas Corp from its Mount Weld operations are displayed near Laverton, Western Australia, on Aug. 23, 2019. Melanie Burton/Reuters

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers on April 26 in calling on the Biden administration to establish a “rare-earth metallurgical cooperative” to reduce the nation’s reliance on Beijing for the specialized minerals used to build electronics, military weapons, and other high-tech equipment.

In a letter (pdf) addressed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the lawmakers, alongside 12 others, urged the establishment of the cooperative to end the nation’s dependence on China for “this critical supply chain.”