US turns military base into mineral refinery to deal with China?

The Pentagon, headquarters of the US Department of Defense in Washington, DC

Reuters recently quoted two senior officials of the administration of US President Donald Trump revealing the new plan of the US military commander in chief: building a refinery for key minerals inside US military bases.

The decree is being drafted.

The move is one of several executive orders that President Trump is expected to sign soon. A week earlier, the White House chief told Congress he would take action to dramatically increase the production of rare earth minerals and minerals in the United States.

As part of the order, the Pentagon will work with federal agencies to install key mineral processing and refining facilities on military bases, Reuters reported.

In 2022, the US Geological Survey (USGS) officially released a list of key minerals, including 50 names that play an important role in national security and economic development. Among these are rare earth elements.

The use of a military base for refining operations underscores the importance President Trump is placing on key minerals for national security.

Fighter jets, submarines, ammunition and other weapons used by the US military are made from minerals processed and supplied by China.

President Trump also plans to appoint a “czar” to manage the critical minerals sector, similar to what previous presidents have done, according to one of the sources told Reuters.

The plan's content is under discussion and could change before Mr. Trump officially signs the executive order.

Signs of concern from China

Some Trump administration officials are concerned by early signs that China may limit mineral exports as part of tariff retaliation or for other reasons, according to Reuters sources.

The US National Security Council has not commented on the above information.

The Pentagon currently controls about 12 million hectares of land, so the plan would ensure enough space for the smelting facilities, avoiding the risk of getting into disputes with local communities that could arise if land was used outside the base.

The plan also avoids the prospect of Washington having to spend money on land purchases and land-use disputes with other federal agencies.

The approach is expected to provide a solution to a long-standing problem that US manufacturers say China has too much control over the refined metals sector.

China is now the world's leading producer of 30 of the 50 names on the USGS list of key minerals.

It remains unclear how the plan to build metals refining facilities on Pentagon bases would work from a regulatory perspective.

This is because military bases still have to comply with the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, provisions that have blocked private efforts to develop treatment projects in the past.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-bien-can-cu-quan-su-thanh-lo-tinh-che-khoang-san-ung-pho-trung-quoc-185250312111628113.htm