The United States and Canada have been intensifying their efforts to secure critical mineral supplies in an attempt to counterbalance Russia and China’s sweeping control over these crucial resources. The strategic push is aimed at bolstering US and Canadian defense, energy, and technology security amidst growing geopolitical tensions that threaten critical supply lines on multiple fronts.

The mining industry in both the United States and Canada has become increasingly active in lobbying efforts to secure favorable conditions for project development, particularly under recent critical minerals initiatives. In the United States, the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act has catalyzed a surge in lobbying activities by major and junior mining companies. The uptick in lobbying aims to accelerate both federal and state approvals for new mines, with a particular onus on bolstering production of minerals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. This effort however remains hamstrung to a certain degree by political tensions between environmental protection and expanded mining output, culminating in significant delays on domestic projects, which in some cases can wipe out as much as 1/3 of a mining project’s value, as per industry averages.