Critical Minerals Security Act of 2025
The Critical Minerals Security Act of 2025 would require the United States to systematically track and disclose global sources of critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs), assess who controls or influences those resources, and evaluate the feasibility of mining and processing them with current technologies. It also directs the administration to develop a strategy with allies for advanced mining, refining, separation, processing, and recycling technologies, including how to share resulting intellectual property (IP) with partner countries. The bill creates a formal process to help U.S. parties divest from foreign-controlled mining assets if they are in a country of concern, and it mandates regular, public-facing reporting to Congress on these matters, with possible classified annexes. Overall, the act aims to strengthen U.S. awareness, supply chain security, and collaboration with allies to secure access to critical minerals while promoting domestic and allied capabilities. Potential impacts include enhanced transparency for investors and policymakers about who owns and operates key mineral mines, increased leverage in divestment situations, and a structured path for developing and sharing advanced mining and recycling technologies with U.S. partners. The measures could influence international investment, supply chain planning, and future policy options related to national security and trade with countries designated as “covered nations” or whose entities are deemed “foreign entities of concern.”
Key Points
- 1Global reporting on critical minerals and REEs: Within one year of enactment, and every two years after, the Secretary (of the Interior) with the Secretary of Energy and other agencies must produce unclassified reports detailing global resources, ownership/control, and whether resources are under foreign entities of concern or allied/partner jurisdictions. The reports cover mine-by-m mine outputs, remaining reserves, ownership breakdown, and cases where resources are not commercially mined, including why.
- 2Divestment notification pathway: The bill creates a process (within one year) for U.S. persons to notify the Secretary if they plan to divest stock in foreign mining, processing, or recycling operations related to critical minerals and REEs, with the Secretary authorized to assist in finding buyers not controlled by governments of covered nations.
- 3Strategy for advanced tech development: The Secretary, with the Secretary of Energy and other agencies, must develop a strategy within one year to collaborate with U.S. allies on advanced mining, refining, separation, processing, and recycling technologies, and establish a method to share resulting IP with ally countries to enable licensing and resource exploitation in those countries. The Secretary must also report on progress annually.
- 4Allied collaboration and access: The reports include an assessment (with input from the Secretary of State) of how to collaborate with other countries to ensure ongoing U.S. and allied access to mines, processing, or recycling operations located abroad.
- 5Monitoring divestments and foreign influence: The bill requires lists of foreign entities of concern, allied entities involved in mining, and an assessment of the technical feasibility of these entities to mine and process identified resources using existing advanced tech. It also tracks cases where foreign governments or entities have acquired control of mining or processing operations, including divestitures compelled by regulatory action.