Theme of the Day: Silver and Copper added to 2025 US List of Critical Minerals

The US Department of the Interior (DoI), through the US Geological Survey (USGS), has released the draft 2025 List of Critical Minerals along with a report detailing a new framework for evaluating how potential disruptions in the supply chain might impact the US economy. The draft list will serve as a guide for federal strategies, investments and permitting decisions aimed at securing the minerals essential for driving the US economy and safeguarding national security. The List of Critical Minerals informs investments in mining activities and the recovery of resources from mine waste and stockpiles.

It also supports tax incentives for mineral processing in the US and facilitates a more efficient permitting process for mining operations. The 2025 draft list comprises 54 mineral commodities, of which 50 were selected based on the findings of the economic impact assessment.

Copper, lead, potash, rhenium, silicon, and silver were recommended for inclusion, while arsenic and tellurium were suggested for removal. This update marks the second iteration of the List of Critical Minerals, which originated from a 2017 Executive Order by President Donald Trump.

This order initiated an analysis of the vulnerabilities within supply chains for critical minerals. The Energy Act of 2020 further established a process for updating the list every three years. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said: “President Trump has made clear that strengthening America’s economic and national security means securing the resources that fuel our way of life. “This draft List of Critical Minerals provides a clear, science-based road map to reduce our dependence on foreign adversaries, expand domestic production and unleash American innovation.”

The supply chain disruption model evaluated more than 1,200 trade disruption scenarios involving 84 mineral commodities and their potential effects on 402 individual industries and the overall US economy. The economic impacts were weighted by the probability of each disruption scenario occurring.

The new USGS methodology allows policymakers to evaluate risks across multiple scenarios for all 84 mineral commodities analysed, providing a clear economic measure that can be compared directly to other national priorities and risk-mitigation strategies. Under the Energy Act, Secretary Burgum has the authority to designate additional minerals for inclusion in the final list.