What are critical minerals?

Critical minerals are minerals essential to the economic or national security of the United States that have a supply chain vulnerable to disruption and serve an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economic or national security of the U.S. These materials form the backbone of modern technologies, from smartphones and electric vehicles to wind turbines and defense systems.

Key Points

• Critical minerals are defined by three criteria: economic or national security importance, supply chain vulnerability, and essential manufacturing function

The 2025 List of Critical Minerals includes 60 minerals , ranging from common materials like copper and aluminum to specialized elements like rare earths

• The designation excludes fuel minerals, water, ice, snow, and common varieties of sand, gravel, and stone

Mineral criticality is not static, but changes over time as supply and demand dynamics evolve, import reliance changes, and new technologies are developed

• These minerals are particularly vital for clean energy technologies and the transition away from fossil fuels

Understanding Critical Minerals

The concept of critical minerals addresses a fundamental challenge in modern economies: certain materials are indispensable for key industries, yet their supply chains face significant risks. The Energy Act of 2020 defines a "critical mineral" as any mineral, element, substance, or material designated as critical by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the director of the U.S. Geological Survey .

Supply risk considers several factors: basic availability; competing technology demand; political, regulatory, and social factors; codependence on other markets; and producer diversity . Meanwhile, importance to energy technologies considers two factors: energy demand and substitutability .

The list of critical minerals evolves to reflect changing technological and geopolitical realities. The 2025 List of Critical Minerals contains all 50 critical minerals from the 2022 List, plus an additional 10 critical minerals . Copper, lead, potash, rhenium, silicon, and silver are new additions to the 2025 CML compared with the 2022 CML based on USGS assessments .

How It Works

The process for determining which minerals qualify as critical involves rigorous scientific analysis and government review:

1. Scientific Assessment: The USGS consults with experts in academia, government and industry to ensure that the methodology incorporates the most advanced science and data up to that point and reflects the perspectives of diverse decision-makers . The methodology examines both supply chain vulnerabilities and the importance of each mineral to the economy.

2. Public Review: USGS posts the published methodology and draft List of Critical Minerals to the Federal Register to solicit public input . This allows industry stakeholders, academic experts, and the public to provide feedback on the proposed list.

3. Interagency Coordination: The Act provides the Secretary of the Interior the authority to consider other factors beyond the technical analysis – including but not limited to the public comment process specified by the Act, as well as interagency review, specifically consultation with the Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, Agriculture, Health and Human Services and Energy and the United States Trade Representative .

4. Final Determination: After incorporating feedback and completing interagency consultations, the Secretary of the Interior publishes the final list. According to the Energy Act of 2020, the USGS is required to review and publish the List of Critical Minerals – and the methodology used to create it - at least once every three years .

Why It Matters

Critical minerals have become central to both energy security and economic competitiveness. Critical minerals—lithium, gallium, germanium, cobalt, and nickel—are the building blocks for many modern technologies, especially clean energy technologies like electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels . They are also found in everyday products like computers, cell phones, batteries, and household appliances .

The energy transition has intensified focus on these materials. Lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite are crucial to battery performance. Rare earth elements are essential indispensable to the permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors . Electricity networks need a huge amount of aluminium and copper, the latter of which is the cornerstone of all electricity-related technologies .

Supply chain concentration creates vulnerabilities. The United States imports large percentages of some extracted and processed critical mineral resources, as well as some critical mineral-based components and products from other countries. Some countries, such as China, dominate parts of some critical mineral supply chains and may restrict exports or use their market power to manipulate commodity prices creating supply chain vulnerabilities for other countries .

Related Terms

• Rare Earth Elements: Rare earth elements are a subset of critical minerals that includes 17 elements (such as neodymium, promethium and cerium) used extensively in clean energy systems and other technologies. Despite their name, they are not necessarily rare but are difficult to extract economically.

• Critical Materials: The Energy Act of 2020 defines a "critical material" as any non-fuel mineral, element, substance, or material that the Secretary of Energy determines has a high risk of supply chain disruption and serves an essential function in one or more energy technologies, including technologies that produce, transmit, store, and conserve energy .

• Supply Chain Vulnerability: The supply chain may be vulnerable if it lacks diversity or capacity . This includes concentration of production in specific countries, limited processing capabilities, or dependence on single suppliers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between critical minerals and rare earth elements?

While all rare earth elements are considered critical minerals, not all critical minerals are rare earths . Rare earth elements are a specific group of 17 elements with similar chemical properties, while critical minerals is a broader category that includes any mineral meeting the criteria of economic importance, supply vulnerability, and essential manufacturing function.

Why are fuel minerals excluded from the critical minerals list?

The act further specified that critical minerals do not include fuel minerals; water, ice, or snow; or common varieties of sand, gravel, stone, pumice, cinders, and clay . This exclusion focuses the list on minerals used in manufacturing and technology rather than energy sources themselves, though some materials like metallurgical coal used in steelmaking have been added for their industrial applications.

How does the government use the critical minerals list?

The federal government relies on the List of Critical Minerals and the analysis behind it to assess risks to core functions, such as national defense, from supply chain disruptions . The List of Critical Minerals helps guide federal policy to make critical minerals more available in the U.S., including through direct investments, tax incentives for U.S. production, and research initiatives to identify domestic sources.

Last updated: June 22, 2026. For the latest energy news and analysis, visit stakeandpaper.com.