Senator Elissa Slotkin

WAKEFIELD — As the Copperwood Mine Project, in the Western Upper Peninsula, continues to gain traction with Michigan’s elected officials, and increasing opposition from environmental groups, recent additions to the 2025 U.S. critical minerals list could have huge implications for Upper Peninsula mining, if adapted.

The U.S. Department of Interior released the draft 2025 List of Critical Minerals through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that outlines a new model for assessing how potential supply chain disruptions could affect the U.S. economy. Potash, silicon, copper, silver, rhenium and lead were recommended for inclusion.

The list is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the authority of the Secretary of Interior. The list identifies minerals deemed essential to the U.S. economy and national security, with a focus on minerals vulnerable to supply chain disruption.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), also through the USGS, announced its intent to issue notices of funding opportunities totaling nearly $1 billion to advance and scale mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies across key stages of the critical minerals and materials supply chains.

The funding announcements, issued in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order Unleashing American Energy, will help ensure a more secure, predictable, and affordable supply of critical minerals and materials that are foundational to American energy dominance, national security, and industrial competitiveness, the DOE release says.

While these announcements could have far-reaching implications for Upper Michigan mining, Michigan U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, said it is to soon to speculate. “I think it’s a little too early to say, but it should,” she said. “Getting on that critical minerals list is very important, because that’s basically acknowledging that while copper is not rare, it is in a lot of things that we depend on here in the United States.”

Slotkin said adding copper to the critical minerals list means that it is particularly important for the United States, and it helps to put a priority on supporting American supply chains for those critical minerals.

“We’ve seen things move along a lot faster when the things we’re trying to mine for or collect is a critical mineral,” she said.

Because copper is critical to the U.S. economy and national defense, and vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, Slotkin champions domestic mining, particularly in the U.P.

“I’m a firm believer in bringing things home to the United States so that we’re not dependent on other countries,” Slotkin said, “and we know the Western U.P. knows how to mine copper safely and effectively.”

Slotkin expresses concern over disruptions to the domestic supply chain.

“The U.S. imports approximately 1 million tons of copper annually,” she said. “we need it, especially for anything that has to be wired or circuit boarded, which is pretty much everything.”

The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) says in 2024, the United States imported nearly 1 million tons of copper. The U.S. produces domestically just over half of the refined copper it consumes. Much of the mining occurs in Arizona.

“This reliance on imports from Western countries means that a significant portion of U.S. copper imports could be negatively affected by recent tariffs on copper imports,” SME reports.

In 2023,the SME reports, the U.S. contributed to 5% of the global copper production. Copper is dominantly produced in Chile (23% of global production), Peru (12%), Congo (11%), China (8%) and others.

However, most of the global refinery production of copper is from China (44%), Chile (7%), and Japan (5%). Peru has been in political unrest recently, which may adversely affect the supply of copper from that country. Globally, labor disputes are common and can also adversely affect the copper supply chain, the report says.

Current copper mines are running out of ore, and grades and tonnages are decreasing rapidly, the SME warns. Globally, all mines can be subject to temporary closure due to a number of factors including weather, unexpected maintenance issues, and labor disputes.

“I think it’s important what the Department of Energy did, it’s important that copper is on the critical minerals list, but it’s just a little too early to know exactly will be happening in the U.P.,” Slotkin said, “but it certainly gives us a good shot at that money.”