Just as alloys make steel stronger, research allies make mineral science better.
Just as alloys make steel stronger, research allies make mineral science better. Geoscience Australia, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the USGS are coordinating their critical mineral mapping and research efforts to create a shared foundation of mineral information to help ensure a safe and secure supply of the materials needed for each country’s economy and security.
It is no secret that the United States is heavily dependent on foreign sources for many of the mineral commodities necessary for America’s economy and security. Of the 35 mineral commodities deemed critical by the Department of the Interior, the United States was 100 percent reliant on foreign sources for 13 in 2019.
To address this dependency, the Administration published A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals, and, as part of that strategy, the USGS has begun multiple domestic projects to increase knowledge and understanding of the country’s mineral endowment. But in addition to that work, the USGS has also reached out to international partners, particularly those in Australia and Canada.
Australia and Canada are major U.S. trading partners that export dozens of mineral commodities to the United States and have done so for many years. As part of this long-standing relationship, the U.S. State Department leads formal, bilateral, multi-agency, critical mineral collaborations with both Canada and Australia.
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Image via USGS.
