Critical Minerals List

A government's published schedule of minerals it considers essential and supply-vulnerable.

Definition

Government-designated lists of minerals deemed essential for economic and national security. Lists vary by country but typically include materials critical for energy transition, defense, and technology sectors. Examples include lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and graphite.

Why it matters

Listing increasingly unlocks permitting priority, grant funding and offtake support. It also changes over time and differs between countries, so a company citing a list should be read against which list it means.

See also

  • Critical Minerals Minerals deemed essential to economic security and supply chain resilience, particularly for clean energy, def
  • Strategic Metals Metals considered essential for national defense, economic security, and critical infrastructure. Strategic me
  • Defense Metals Metals and minerals deemed essential for military and defense applications, including rare earths (for precisi

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