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Resource Nationalism and the Resilience of Critical Mineral Supply Chains

Author

Listed:
  • Whitlock, Zach

    (Resources for the Future)

  • Gayatri Kannan, Sangita
  • Toman, Michael A.

    (Resources for the Future)

Abstract

As trade policies and other US federal actions attempt to reshape global critical mineral markets, concerns about the resilience of supply chains for strategic civilian and military technologies will continue to assume a large role in policymaking. This report addresses the supply chain for lithium-ion batteries and evaluates the limits of resource nationalism, an approach to policymaking that entails greater government intervention in the resource economy, to bolster US mineral production and processing capacity. We first discuss recent executive actions, tariffs, and defense-led partnerships and then assess US lithium, cobalt, and nickel resources, as well as processing costs, considering potential electric vehicle demand through 2050. We conclude that the national interest is best served by structured international cooperation with selective domestic expansion, given fundamental resource availability constraints, long lead times for new mines, and the high costs of geographically diversifying processing capacity. This report presents cost estimations and weighs policy options for decisionmakers seeking to address Chinese market power in the material foundations of battery technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Whitlock, Zach & Gayatri Kannan, Sangita & Toman, Michael A., 2025. "Resource Nationalism and the Resilience of Critical Mineral Supply Chains," RFF Reports 25-18, Resources for the Future.
    • Handle: RePEc:rff:report:rp-25-18
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    File URL: https://www.rff.org/documents/5077/Report_25-18.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Thea Riofrancos, 2023. "The Security–Sustainability Nexus: Lithium Onshoring in the Global North," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 23(1), pages 20-41, Winter.
    2. Fleming, Maxwell & Kannan, Sangita Gayatri & Eggert, Roderick, 2024. "Long-run availability of mineral resources: The dynamic case of lithium," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    3. Toman, Michael A. & Gayatri Kannan, Sangita, 2025. "“Mineral Security” Policy for Electric Vehicle Battery Minerals," RFF Reports 25-06, Resources for the Future.
    4. Elisa Alonso & David Pineault & Nedal T. Nassar, 2023. "Streamlined approach for assessing embedded consumption of lithium and cobalt in the United States," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(1), pages 33-42, February.
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