https://www.advisorperspectives.com/
In the 1950s, the US was worried about the supply of mercury, because the liquid metal was key to power walkie-talkies during the Korean War. In the 1980s, analysts warned that mineral shortages to rival the OPEC oil shock could undermine the Cold War arsenal.
Today, the concern is about China cornering the market for lithium and cobalt, which are needed for high-capacity batteries. The panic over the years has inevitably influenced policy even if heeding cooler heads would offer reassurance. Which brings us to the current US administration.
Donald Trump cloaks his imperial ambitions for Ukraine and Greenland with the desire to exploit their rare earths. Only this month, the White House announced several executive orders on critical minerals. Read what Trump signed, and it feels like USA Inc. is experiencing a supply crunch depriving it of key ingredients to make electric cars, fighter jets and super computers.
For the rest of this article: https://www.advisorperspectives.com/articles/2025/04/29/critical-minerals-us-headache-not-emergency