U.S. adds new elements including copper, silver, uranium to 'critical minerals' list

[Close-up of new and shiny сopper pipe.]
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The U.S. Department of the Interior expanded its list of critical minerals Thursday to include new elements, such as copper, silver and uranium, allowing these new minerals to become eligible for federal funding and streamlining permitting.

The U.S. Geological Survey today released its final List of Critical Minerals 2025 [https://www.usgs.gov/programs/mineral-resources-program/science/about-2025-list-critical-minerals], which included 10 new minerals: boron, copper, lead, metallurgical coal, phosphate, potash, rhenium, silicon, silver, and uranium.

The administration is expanding the list alongside efforts to boost domestic mining and cut reliance on imports, particularly from China.

The USGS list is updated every three years to help identify minerals deemed as essential for the economy, and helps to inform investments in mining, mine waste, stockpiles, streamlined permitting, and other related areas; in total, the list now contains 60 critical minerals.

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