Critical Minerals Bill Targets China/Russia, Authorizes $50M for Secure Global Supply Chains

If you’ve bought an electric vehicle, own a smartphone, or rely on solar panels, you’re using products that depend on what are called “critical minerals.” These are the raw materials—like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements—that power modern tech and defense systems. The Critical Minerals Partnership Act of 2025 is the U.S. government’s plan to make sure we don't run out of them, especially if current suppliers decide to squeeze the market.

This bill establishes a national policy focused on two main goals: first, boosting domestic mining, processing, and recycling of these minerals, and second, collaborating with allies to build secure global supply chains. The policy explicitly targets reducing or eliminating reliance on countries the U.S. considers adversaries—specifically naming the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and Iran (Sec. 3). To execute this, the State Department is authorized to receive $50 million in Fiscal Year 2026 to fund these security efforts (Sec. 7).

The Secretary’s Shopping List: What Counts as ‘Critical’

First things first: what is a critical mineral? The bill uses an existing definition but gives the Secretary of State the final say. A mineral is critical if it’s already defined as such by the Energy Act of 2020 and the Secretary determines it is essential to U.S. economic or national security and has a supply chain vulnerable to disruption (Sec. 2). This gives the State Department significant power to define what resources get the full weight of U.S. diplomatic and financial support. For a tech company, this determination is huge; it means the raw materials they need might suddenly become a foreign policy priority.

Building the Global Mineral Club

The core of this legislation is about diplomacy and international cooperation. The President is authorized to negotiate a major international agreement to form a coalition focused on critical minerals (Sec. 4). Think of it as a mutual aid pact for essential resources. The objectives for this negotiation are highly detailed, covering everything from establishing joint investment mechanisms to setting up cost-sharing for infrastructure to access mineral deposits.

For the average person, this means the cost and availability of consumer electronics and EVs could become more stable. For example, the coalition aims to improve economies of scale and cooperation, which could lower the cost of refining lithium or cobalt, potentially making that next battery cheaper. The bill also requires coalition members to recommend best practices for protecting labor rights and the environment near industrial sites, which is a significant check on the often-dirty business of mining.

The State Department Gets Into Project Finance

To manage this global effort, the bill formally authorizes the U.S. participation and leadership in the existing Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), led by the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment (Sec. 5). This isn't just a talking shop; the MSP is authorized to support joint projects with funding, political risk insurance, financing, and equity investments.

This is where the rubber meets the road for businesses. If you run a U.S. company that processes critical minerals, the MSP could be a source of financing or insurance for building a new facility, especially if it’s located in a partner country. The bill mandates the MSP create a database of critical mineral projects to encourage private sector investment, essentially acting as a matchmaking service between investors and mineral projects that align with U.S. security goals (Sec. 5). They are also required to prioritize projects that use strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

One interesting provision is the authority to establish a consortium empowered to bid on and secure potential critical mineral deposits in countries that are not coalition members (Sec. 4). This is a clear signal that the U.S. and its allies are prepared to compete directly with rival nations to secure future supplies, potentially leading to increased international friction over resource control. Overall, this bill is less about domestic regulation and more about using U.S. foreign policy and financial tools to secure the supply chains that underpin the modern economy.