Tornado Alley (PROG)

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More Biden/Harris on critical minerals: Biden Admin Makes Big Angola Investment to Counter China’s Critical Minerals Dominance
December 06, 2024 — 12:30 pm EST
Written by Giann Liguid for Investing News Network->
US President Joe Biden directed an additional US$600 million to the Lobito Corridor project during a visit to Angola, reinforcing a commitment to enhancing critical minerals supply chains in the African region.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/biden-admin-makes-big-angola-investment-counter-chinas-critical-minerals-dominance

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Biden vs. Trump: Critical Minerals Policy

JULY 1, 2024

This is the seventh in a series of TAG memos contrasting the views of Joe Biden and Donald Trump
that could most shape U.S. policy toward the Indo-Pacific region in2025. The most recent brief
on their views about outbound FDI can be found here ..
https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/B169CZ6Rp6HL7KRSjOx_7?domain=r.mail.theasiagroup.com .

Key Takeaways

Critical Minerals Policy

Motivations

Trump
• Aimed to bolster domestic critical minerals production and insulate supply chains from economic coercion

Biden
• Sought to synthesize Trump-era critical minerals policies into a cross-sector “de-risking” agenda

Implementation

Trump
• Empowered federal agencies to identify critical minerals and assess acquisition risks

Biden
• Created/refined systems and processes needed for infrastructure and international coordination

• Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden authorized unprecedented measures to reduce the United States’ dependence on critical minerals imports and bolster its domestic production capabilities. While their motivations were similar, their approaches to implementation differed significantly.

• Trump’s strategy focused on narrowly scoped policies that empowered federal agencies to classify critical minerals and identify acquisition risks.The Biden administration expanded those measures and made critical minerals policy part of a “whole-of-government” drive to strengthen supply chains across multiple sectors. This approach prioritized creating and/or refining systems and processes for financing, infrastructure, and (especially) international coordination.

• If elected, either candidate will likely seek to accelerate funding for domestic production and further empower federal agencies to monitor critical minerals suppliers and stockpiles. However, a re-elected Trump may de-prioritize strengthening U.S.-led international coordination on balancing China’s dominance in the sector.

• It is possible that a second Trump administration’s overall trade policy toward China – if it includes high unilateral tariffs – could prompt Beijing to suspend critical mineral exports to the United States. China refrained from using this drastic option during the 2018-2020 U.S.-China trade dispute as it likely did not want to risk more damage to its own technology supply chains. Beijing could revise its calculus depending on how a re-elected Trump pursues his China policy.

[ Insert: China cuts exports of vital rare earth minerals as trade war with U.S. intensifies
Apr 15, 2025 6:35 PM EDT
VIDEO and transcript --
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/china-cuts-exports-of-vital-rare-earth-minerals-as-trade-war-with-u-s-intensifies ]

How U.S. Policymakers Define “Critical Minerals”

Continued -- https://theasiagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/WEB-07.01.24-Biden-vs.-Trump-Critical-Minerals.pdf