Resource Nationalism and the Resilience of Critical Mineral Supply Chains

Zach Whitlock, Sangita Gayatri Kannan and Michael Toman ()
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Zach Whitlock: Resources for the Future

No 25-18, RFF Reports from Resources for the Future

Abstract: As trade policies and other US federal actions attempt to reshape global critical mineral markets, concerns about the resilience of supply chains for strategic civilian and military technologies will continue to assume a large role in policymaking. This report addresses the supply chain for lithium-ion batteries and evaluates the limits of resource nationalism, an approach to policymaking that entails greater government intervention in the resource economy, to bolster US mineral production and processing capacity. We first discuss recent executive actions, tariffs, and defense-led partnerships and then assess US lithium, cobalt, and nickel resources, as well as processing costs, considering potential electric vehicle demand through 2050. We conclude that the national interest is best served by structured international cooperation with selective domestic expansion, given fundamental resource availability constraints, long lead times for new mines, and the high costs of geographically diversifying processing capacity. This report presents cost estimations and weighs policy options for decisionmakers seeking to address Chinese market power in the material foundations of battery technology.

Date: 2025-11-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene and nep-env
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