The Critical Minerals to China, EU, and U.S. National Security
Jan 16, 2024

By         Graphics/Design: Zack Aboulazm

The Critical Minerals to China, EU, and U.S. Security


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Governments formulate lists of critical minerals according to their industrial requirements and strategic evaluations of supply risks.


Over the last decade, minerals like nickel, copper, and lithium have been on these lists and deemed essential for clean technologies like EV batteries and solar and wind power.


This graphic uses IRENA and the U.S. Department of Energy data to identify which minerals are essential to China, the United States, and the European Union.


What are Critical Minerals?


There is no universally accepted definition of critical minerals. Countries and regions maintain lists that mirror current technology requirements and supply and demand dynamics, among other factors.



These lists are also constantly changing. For example, the EU’s first critical minerals list in 2011 featured only 14 raw materials. In contrast, the 2023 version identified 34 raw materials as critical.


One thing countries share, however, is the concern that a lack of minerals could slow down the energy transition.


With most countries committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the total mineral demand from clean energy technologies is expected to double by 2040.


U.S. and EU Seek to Reduce Import Reliance on Critical Minerals


Ten materials feature on critical material lists of both the U.S., the EU, and China, including cobalt, lithium, graphite, and rare earths.

Mineral / Considered Critical 🇺🇸 U.S. 🇪🇺 EU 🇨🇳 China
Aluminum/ bauxite Yes Yes Yes
Antimony Yes Yes Yes
Cobalt Yes Yes Yes
Copper Yes Yes Yes
Fluorspar Yes Yes Yes
Graphite Yes Yes Yes
Lithium Yes Yes Yes
Nickel Yes Yes Yes
Rare earths Yes Yes Yes
Tungsten Yes Yes Yes
Arsenic Yes Yes No
Barite Yes Yes No
Beryllium Yes Yes No
Bismuth Yes Yes No
Germanium Yes Yes No
Hafnium Yes Yes No
Magnesium Yes Yes No
Manganese Yes Yes No
Niobium Yes Yes No
Platinum Yes Yes No
Tantalum Yes Yes No
Titanium Yes Yes No
Vanadium Yes Yes No
Tin Yes No Yes
Zirconium Yes No Yes
Phosphorus No Yes Yes
Cesium Yes No No
Chromium Yes No No
Indium Yes No No
Rubidium Yes No No
Samarium Yes No No
Tellurium Yes No No
Zinc Yes No No
Boron No Yes No
Coking Coal No Yes No
Feldspar No Yes No
Gallium No Yes No
Helium No Yes No
Phosphate Rock No Yes No
Scandium No Yes No
Silicon No Yes No
Strontium No Yes No
Gold No No Yes
Iron ore No No Yes
Molybdenum No No Yes
Potash No No Yes
Uranium No No Yes

Despite having most of the same materials found in the U.S. or China’s list, the European list is the only one to include phosphate rock. The region has limited phosphate resources (only produced in Finland) and largely depends on imports of the material essential for manufacturing fertilizers.


Coking coal is also only on the EU list. The material is used in the manufacture of pig iron and steel. Production is currently dominated by China (58%), followed by Australia (17%), Russia (7%), and the U.S. (7%).


The U.S. has also sought to reduce its reliance on imports. Today, the country is 100% import-dependent on manganese and graphite and 76% on cobalt.


After decades of sourcing materials from other countries, the U.S. local production of raw materials has become extremely limited. For instance, there is only one operating nickel mine (primary) in the country, the Eagle Mine in Michigan. Likewise, the country only hosts one lithium source in Nevada, the Silver Peak Mine.


China’s Dominance


Despite being the world’s biggest carbon polluter, China is the largest producer of most of the world’s critical minerals for the green revolution.


China produces 60% of all rare earth elements used as components in high-technology devices, including smartphones and computers. The country also has a 13% share of the lithium production market. In addition, it refines around 35% of the world’s nickel, 58% of lithium, and 70% of cobalt.


Among some of the unique materials on China’s list is gold. Although gold is used on a smaller scale in technology, China has sought gold for economic and geopolitical factors, mainly to diversify its foreign exchange reserves, which rely heavily on the U.S. dollar.


Analysts estimate China has bought a record 400 tonnes of gold in recent years.


China has also slated uranium as a critical mineral. The Chinese government has stated it intends to become self-sufficient in nuclear power plant capacity and fuel production for those plants.


According to the World Nuclear Association, China aims to produce one-third of its uranium domestically.


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