The United States is dangerously dependent on imported critical minerals, but a new report argues that this vulnerability is largely self-inflicted. Research from the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) shows that overlapping federal permitting regimes have created a system so slow and costly that it effectively locks away vast domestic resources, forcing the country to rely on foreign suppliers often located in politically unstable regions.
On average, it takes 29 years to open a new mine in the U.S.—longer than anywhere in the world except Zambia. The problem, according to the PLF report, is not any single statute but the cumulative weight of layered federal requirements. Each layer adds rounds of review, consultation, paperwork, and litigation risk, deterring investment and driving capital abroad.
“America is not heavily dependent on oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, yet disruption there has still shocked our economy,” the report notes. “Imagine the consequences if we were more dependent.” For critical minerals, that vulnerability is real: the U.S. relies on imports for dozens of minerals essential to modern life, and for several, more than half of supply comes from countries like China, Mexico, and South Africa—nations vulnerable to conflict or regional turmoil.
The report highlights several case studies. At Rock Creek in Montana, a copper-silver deposit that could power millions of electric vehicles and smartphones has been stuck in permitting limbo for nearly four decades. Meanwhile, the U.S. imports almost half of its copper. In Minnesota, the NewRange project has spent 21 years and counting in review, despite holding enough nickel, copper, and cobalt to supply millions of new homes and electric vehicles. The U.S. still relies on foreign suppliers for 41 percent of its nickel and 79 percent of its cobalt.
Even Thacker Pass in Nevada—often cited as a permitting success story—spent 17 years in review and litigation before preliminary construction began in 2023. It is one of the largest lithium deposits in the world, yet the U.S. still imports more than half of its lithium.
“There is nothing wrong with importing minerals. Trade is a strength, not a weakness,” the report states. “The problem emerges when bad domestic policy turns foreign trade from a choice into a necessity.” The authors argue that America should be free to import minerals at will but also free to mine them.
The consequences of inaction could be severe. A future conflict disrupting supply chains or transit routes—such as those through the Malacca Strait, where a recent U.S.-Indonesia defense pact aims to bolster American presence—could send prices soaring and trigger shortages. The report warns that American workers could lose jobs as markets scramble for scarce materials.
Reform is possible. The report points to recent bipartisan permitting reform talks in Congress as an encouraging start. Expanding domestic mining would not make the U.S. immune from global shocks, but it would make those shocks less severe. A country with strong domestic mining is still exposed to price swings but is less likely to be cut off from the raw materials modern life depends on.
The political stakes are high. As the UK election chaos has shown, political paralysis can have real-world consequences. For the U.S., the choice is clear: reform the mining permitting system or remain unnecessarily dependent on foreign suppliers for the minerals that power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.
