United States Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, recently introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at bolstering the United States' critical minerals security by reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. The American Mineral Security Act (the "AMSA") seeks to codify, in part, a 2017 Executive Order by President Donald Trump, with the stated goal of creating a comprehensive approach to protecting domestic mineral resources, as well as the supply chains that refine the raw materials. Several of these critical minerals – graphite, cobalt, nickel and lithium – form the core of the automotive and energy industries.

The AMSA comes at a time when the U.S. continues to lag in production of such minerals. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, in 2018 the U.S. imported at least 50% of forty-eight minerals, including 100% of about twenty of them.

U.S. lithium production highlights the need for such legislation. According to some estimates, the U.S. produces just 1% of the global lithium supply (while holding about 13% of the world's lithium resources), whereas China produces roughly 50%. Lithium is a key mineral in the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries, and many manufacturers, including Tesla, welcome this most recent legislative effort, as they have warned that an underdeveloped mining industry, coupled with continued rising demand, could lead to a worldwide shortage.

Some key provisions of the AMSA include codifying the methodology used to designate minerals as critical (to be updated at least every three years); new requirements for geological surveying and resource assessments; streamlining certain regulatory review processes; and authorizing research and development for recycling and replacement.

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