Niocorp Developments Ltd (NB)

[The_Gman]

Domestic production of titanium sponge

The committee is concerned by the ongoing reliance of the U.S. industrial base on non-allied sources of supply for critical materials, notably titanium sponge. With no domestic sources currently producing titanium sponge, the United States is completely reliant on imports for a material that is essential to many critical defense platforms. This dependence on non-allied sources has become even more precarious given the conflict in Ukraine, which has put increased demand on U.S. producers and introduced pricing and supply shocks to the titanium sponge market. Currently, the U.S. titanium industry sources almost all sponge from a single country, calling into question the security of supply. Sources of titanium sponge from allies may not have sufficient capacity or quality to meet defense and aerospace requirements. Absent a domestic source of titanium sponge, the United States will lack the surge capacity required to support defense and critical infrastructure needs in an extended national emergency.

Accordingly, the committee directs the Department of Defense to consider the use of existing authorities to make advanced purchase commitments of titanium sponge from a domestic source for inclusion in the National Defense Stockpile, and assess whether authorities for industrial base support, including the Defense Production Act of 1950 (Public Law 81-774) or the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, are applicable to titanium sponge production.

https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy2024_ndaa_bill_report.pdf