Press Releases

Rep. Williams, Colleagues Urge Biden Admin Address Reliance On Foreign Critical Minerals, Empower Domestic Production

U.S. Representatives call for increased domestic critical mineral production amid the ongoing global shortage of semiconductors, reliance on adversarial countries, and recent ban against Micron.

Washington, DC — On Friday, Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22), and U.S. Representatives Doug Lamborn (CO-5), Jack Bergman (MI-1), Ashley Hinson (IA-2), Doug LaMalfa (CA-1), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3), Earl “Buddy” Carter (GA-1), Dan Newhouse (WA-4), and Nathaniel Moran (TX-1) sent a letter to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of Interior expressing support for boosting our domestic supply of critical minerals to meet the growing demand of the semiconductor industry.

The semiconductor industry plays an indispensable role in our nation's economy, powering a wide range of essential sectors. However, the ongoing global shortage of semiconductors, the United States’ reliance on the importation of materials from adversarial countries, and the recent ban against Micron by Chinese cyberspace regulators, only further demonstrates= the need to maintain U.S. competitiveness in semiconductor production by reinforcing our domestic critical mineral supply chain.

Critical minerals, such as gallium, germanium, and tantalum, are essential to producing chips and are plentiful domestically. Gallium has deposits situated in the United States with over 46,000 metric tons of materials—yet more than 53% of the gallium our country uses is imported from China. In 2022 alone, gallium metal imports from China increased by an estimated 34% according to the United States Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries of 2023.

This letter urges the Biden Administration to address our reliance on foreign critical minerals and empower domestic production—laying out steps to secure American semiconductor manufacturing, an industry essential to our position as a global leader. These include working to identify domestic critical mineral deposits and fully implementing the CHIPS and Science Act.

“We can't rely on adversaries like China for minerals critical to the American economy. Our government, for the sake of national security and economic prosperity, needs to support domestic production. This letter rightfully encourages the Biden Administration to bolster American mining and mineral processing,” said Rep. Brandon Williams (NY-22). “As the semiconductor industry continues to grow in size and influence, it is more important than ever that we secure American access to the fundamental resources needed for chip manufacturing. This can't be done without a robust supply of domestically sourced critical minerals.”

“The semiconductor industry plays a pivotal role in the U.S. economy and is a key part of the 21st century economy. We simply cannot cede this sector to adversarial nations like China,” said Rep. Lawler (NY-17). “By ramping up domestic critical mineral production, we can make the United States a global leader in this crucial industry. I urge the Biden Administration to move expeditiously to bolster American production of critical minerals. By unleashing our potential in this key sector, we will strengthen our economy as well as our national security.”

“It is a national security priority for the United States to become a leader in critical mineral production,” said Rep. Buddy Carter (GA-1). “China has a history of using its resources as bargaining chips around the globe. We cannot allow that to happen with critical minerals. Georgia’s First Congressional District is a national leader in critical mineral production, and we must continue investing in these resources so that the world is no longer dependent on the Chinese Communist Party for their critical mineral supply chains.”

“The Chinese Communist Party is a threat to American democracy, and we must respond with tough policies that will protect our domestic supply chains—especially for the critical minerals that play an indispensable role in our economy and the semiconductor industry,” Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-4). “Communities in Central Washington and across the nation thrive when our resources are sourced right here at home, and the Biden Administration must act now to empower domestic production and enhance our global competitiveness.”

“The manufacturing industry plays a key role in the economic security of our country. As we take steps to reduce our dependence on China and shore up critical minerals used for semiconductor chips and other technologies, we must look at ways we can strengthen our domestic supply chain and build strategic partnerships with allies abroad to reduce dependence on China. China, who openly seeks to dominate the U.S. in this sector, extracts and refines most of the world’s global critical minerals,” said Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX-1). “In order to conserve American competitiveness, we must first identify our critical mineral deposits at home and then pursue those opportunities.”

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For Immediate Release: July 27, 2023

Press: Taylor Weyeneth | (202) 834-3026

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