CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program

Critical minerals demand is accelerating, but the capital to meet it isn't keeping pace. @GraceBaskaran sits down with Mark Cutifani, former CEO of Anglo American, and Richard Horrocks-Taylor, Global Head of Metals & Mining at @StanChart, to unpack why. They tackle public vs. private capital, backing long-term bets in short-term markets, and the one decision that will shape 2030. Watch here: youtube.com/watch?v=VGLzXEDG…

Alcoa's $5.6 billion acquisition of South32's aluminum assets marks a significant U.S. investment in South Africa. Dr. Alistair Ruiters discusses what the deal signals about investor confidence and why deeper economic engagement remains central to the U.S.-South Africa relationship. Watch the full episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=2j13XZF4…

Has U.S.–South Africa critical minerals cooperation turned a corner? Dr. Alistair Ruiters of the South African Presidency says yes. Rising investor interest, deeper high-level engagement, and a shared focus on critical minerals are opening new doors for partnership. Watch the full episode: youtube.com/watch?v=2j13XZF4…

ICYMI: @GraceBaskaran recently joined @JoeDeaux and @business for a deep dive into the U.S. critical minerals industry, covering President Trump’s America mining roundtable, the industry’s progress, and the challenges that remain ahead.

For more than a century, South Africa has been central to U.S. mineral security. Today, South Africa is America’s largest supplier of platinum group metals, chromium, and military-grade vanadium and its second-largest supplier of manganese. For several of these minerals, there is no easy allied substitute. Diversifying away from South Africa could mean trading South African supply for Russian palladium or Chinese vanadium. Watch the full episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=2j13XZF4…

A new episode of Mapping Minerals Diplomacy is live! South Africa is a key supplier of platinum, chromium, manganese, palladium, and military-grade vanadium. As political tensions mount, can critical minerals and energy provide the commercial reset Washington and Pretoria urgently need? @GraceBaskaran sits down with Dr. Alistair Ruiters, Special Advisor on Investment to President Cyril Ramaphosa, to discuss South Africa's mineral wealth, value-chain development, and opportunities for deeper U.S.-South Africa cooperation. Watch the episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=2j13XZF4…

What turns mineral wealth into investment? According to Ambassador @alfredoferrerod , the answer goes beyond geology. Macroeconomic stability, rule of law, community engagement, and policy certainty are all essential to attracting long-term investment and unlocking Peru's mining potential. Watch the full episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=ZWlSuMaJ…

Why does Peru matter for U.S. critical mineral security? With 67 mining projects representing approximately $64 billion in investment and major U.S. companies such as Newmont and Freeport-McMoRan operating in the country, Peru is well positioned to play a larger role in strengthening supply chain resilience across the Americas. Watch the full episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=ZWlSuMaJ…

At the @UN Security Council, @GraceBaskaran argued that resource governance is a strategic imperative rather than just a development issue, built on transparent institutions, predictable regulation, and accountable revenue management. It starts in producing countries—with governments that provide policy certainty, communities that share in the benefits of resource development, and investors who have confidence that projects will be supported over decades, not election cycles.

Mining competitiveness depends on more than reserves. As Ambassador @alfredoferrerod noted, Peru faces an infrastructure deficit of roughly $150 billion, with needs across rail, electricity, water, ports, and logistics. For the U.S., infrastructure investment could be one of the clearest pathways to strengthening resilient Western Hemisphere supply chains. Watch the full episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=ZWlSuMaJ…

At the @UN Security Council, @GraceBaskaran highlighted that mining has been a catalyst for good in the DRC historically. Katanga is a powerful example of transformation. Once seen as a symbol of instability, it's now one of Africa's top destinations for mining investment. As she says, "stability is not static, and it can be built."

A new Mapping Minerals Diplomacy episode is out! This week we are joined by Peruvian Ambassador @alfredoferrerod to discuss the future of Peru’s mining sector, opportunities for greater Peru-U.S. cooperation, and the investments and community partnerships needed to strengthen the country’s mining sector. Watch the full episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=ZWlSuMaJ…

This week, @CNN's @FareedZakaria highlighted research by CSIS’s @GraceBaskaran and Meredith Schwartz on the evolving global rare earths landscape. Read the full analysis, Rare Earth Export Restrictions One Year Later, here: csis.org/analysis/rare-earth…

When asked by @RepEliCrane about Arizona's role in U.S. copper production, @GraceBaskaran pointed to a critical gap. Resolution Copper alone could meet 25% of U.S. copper demand but mining is only half the equation. Without domestic smelting capacity, that copper leaves the country.

When asked by @RepHageman about FORGE, @GraceBaskaran noted that geopolitics isn't our biggest problem—economics is. Low prices are choking investment in critical minerals. The solution? Aggregate demand across allies. Break trade barriers. And make FORGE more than handshake diplomacy.

In her testimony, @GraceBaskaran notes that for over a century, the United States has used industrial policy to secure critical mineral supply chains—from financing nickel mines to setting uranium price floors. The real challenge isn’t capability—it’s consistency. We build in crisis, then dismantle when it fades. That cycle is costing us.

In her testimony, @GraceBaskaran noted that mineral supply-side interventions alone are not enough. The CHIPS Act showed what happens when we fund manufacturing but neglect inputs: → $280B for semiconductors → No parallel strategy for critical minerals. The result? China cut off gallium and germanium needed to manufacture those semiconductors. We need a full supply chain strategy—from mine to manufactured good.

Brandon Craig, newly appointed CEO of @bhp, joined @GraceBaskaran in October to discuss global copper security. Copper spans the Americas—from Canada to Chile—creating a major opportunity to link geology, mining, processing, and markets into one integrated hemispheric supply chain.

In a conversation at CSIS, Ambassador @StefanishynaO highlighted the historic significance of the U.S.–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. With critical minerals as a key pillar, the Fund strengthens supply chain resilience and deepens U.S.–Ukraine partnership at a pivotal moment.