Mining Investor Says US Must Outspend China on Critical Minerals
A wheel loader moves raw ore inside the pit at a rare earths mine in Mountain Pass, California.
Photographer: Joe Buglewicz/BloombergA US-backed mining investor warned that Washington must outspend Beijing on critical minerals projects to challenge China’s dominance of global supply chains.
Western governments are still moving too slowly in securing supplies of lithium, rare earths and other materials vital for defense industries, according to Brian Menell, a South African mining veteran who heads TechMet Ltd.