Zinke moves to protect critical minerals from foreign threats.....

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/ryan-zinke-moves-to-protect-critical-minerals-from-foreign-threats ^ | 5/17/2018 | John Siciliano

[caww]

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is listing 35 minerals used in aircraft, cellphones, and other important technologies as "vital" to national security in a move to wean the U.S. off foreign suppliers.

The list includes such valuable metals as aluminum and titanium, as well as uranium, helium, lithium, platinum, potash, and strontium. The materials are used in aircraft and other aerospace technologies. Lithium is used in batteries to power a wide range of products from cellphones to electric cars.

A final rule to be published Friday says the U.S. is "heavily reliant" on imports of the minerals. "This dependency of the United States on foreign sources creates a strategic vulnerability for both its economy and military to adverse foreign government action, natural disaster, and other events that can disrupt

President Trump directed Zinke to conduct a review of the nation's critical mineral assets and to create a strategy on how to handle vulnerabilities.

The final list begins phase two of Trump's executive order, with the Commerce Department developing a federal strategy to ensure supplies of the minerals remain reliable.

In February, Zinke listed the 35 minerals as critical to the nation's economy and national security as it took comments on the draft proposal. The list was

[fruser1]

Since aluminum is protected, shouldn’t we go back to tin beer cans?

[Albion Wilde]

bump