Beijing’s nickel glut leaves America penniless

This article originally appeared in The Hill on October 2, 2024

America’s vast mineral wealth has underwritten our nation’s evolution into an economic and military superpower. From the gold rush that fueled the race westward almost 200 years ago to the iron ore and coal miners that powered the construction of bridges, skyscrapers, rail lines and military vessels, mining has been central to American prosperity.

Sadly, America’s commitment to mining its resources has fallen victim to progressive dogma. Now, Beijing’s vast influence over global mineral supply chains poses an economic threat to the United States. While the Biden-Harris administration is hamstringing American mining projects in red tape, Chinese miners are preemptively flooding the global market to keep American minerals in the ground.

The market for nickel, which is a vital input for electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel, offers an instructive example. Nickel is so crucial that it was designated a critical mineral by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2022 and again by a Democrat-controlled Congress and signed into law by President Biden.

Yet, despite the United States’ significant nickel resources, we only have one active nickel mine.

Read the full op-ed in The Hill here.