Sponsors (12)
The bill strengthens U.S. and allied critical‑mineral mapping, investment, and processing capacity by prioritizing domestic/allied actors and clarifying legal scope, but it raises costs, concentrates decision authority, creates diplomatic and financial risks, and can limit data openness and adaptability to future minerals.
Taxpayers and U.S. industries benefit from clearer identification of domestic and allied supply sources, reducing U.S. dependence on non‑allied suppliers for critical minerals.
U.S. and allied‑headquartered firms (including small businesses and financiers) get prioritized opportunities to develop mapped critical mineral deposits, creating export and manufacturing opportunities and supporting domestic jobs.
Preferential financing tools (e.g., DFC, EX‑IM) for projects that commit to processing in the U.S. or allied countries can mobilize private investment and help build domestic processing capacity and related supply chains.
Prioritizing projects that commit to processing in the U.S. or allied countries can raise project costs and reduce competitiveness, potentially increasing prices for downstream manufacturers and consumers.
Using U.S. development finance and other preferential financing for select projects exposes taxpayers to financial risk if financed projects fail or underperform.
Narrowly defining 'allied' partners and granting U.S./allied firms rights (e.g., first refusal) may be perceived as privileging certain actors and could provoke diplomatic or trade pushback, limiting cooperation with non‑treaty but important mineral partners.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes USGS to sign MOUs with partner countries to map critical minerals/rare earths, prioritize U.S./allied developers, and facilitate private financing and data protections.
Introduced April 17, 2025 by Robert J. Wittman · Last progress April 17, 2025
Allows the U.S. Geological Survey (acting through the Secretary of the Interior) to sign cooperation agreements with foreign partner countries to map critical minerals and rare earth elements. The agreements aim to help partner countries map reserves, promote U.S. or allied firms for development, encourage private investment (including U.S. development finance and export credit support) conditional on processing commitments in the U.S. or allied countries, and protect sensitive mapping data from unauthorized access. The law also authorizes scientific collaboration, training, higher-education partnerships, and environmental and workplace standards support; requires a 30-day congressional notification before entering agreements; and directs coordination with the State Department and consultation with private-sector actors on priorities and investment facilitation.