‘Magnets, batteries, missile systems:’ U.S. mining industry finds itself in a deep hole

The Trump administration is touting it as part of a critical effort to free the U.S. from China’s stranglehold on the minerals and elements that are essential components in products ranging from smartphones and electric vehicles to advanced medical devices, oil refining, and missile guidance systems. And that dominance is pronounced: China is the top producer of 30 of the 50 minerals the U.S. considers critical, and of 90% of the 17 that comprise rare earths. Only a handful of schools still turn out mining experts – the days of Columbia University or the University of California at Berkeley leading the field are long gone, and today the industry is facing what it calls a “gray tsunami” as top experts age out of the field, Professor Brickey said.

Author: RealClearWire

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