Site of Highland Copper Company’s Copperwood Mine Project, near Wakefield, in Gogebic County. (Courtesy of Highland Copper Company)

WASHINGTON DC — Highland Copper Company has been acknowledged as a contributor to U.S. copper mining expansion by the Trump Administration, Highland said in a recent statement.

A fact sheet published by the White House on April 2 states, in part: “Companies such as Highland Copper, Ivanhoe Electric, Rio Tinto, and Wieland are expanding U.S. copper mining, smelting, and fabrication facilities.”

The fact sheet outlines components of a proclamation signed by President Trump that seeks to adjust imports of aluminum, steel and copper into the U.S. The Proclamation defines the way tariffs are assessed, safeguarding the full value of imported steel, aluminum, and copper products against artificially lowered foreign prices designed to undercut American metal sales.

Last year, the U.S. Dept. of Labor released a draft 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.

With copper added to the critical minerals list, and tariffs now reinforced at up to 50 percent on imported copper products, the current administration is applying pressure on the need to bring metals back to domestic production.

In 2024, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) said the United States imported nearly 1 million tons of copper that year. The U.S. domestically produces domestically just over half of the refined copper it consumes. Currently, much of the mining occurs in Arizona. Copper production is set to expand to the western U.P.

Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP, said the White House fact sheet highlights companies like Highland Copper that are helping expand U.S. copper mining and fabrication capacity, placing projects like Copperwood squarely within the country’s efforts to secure critical minerals and rebuild industrial strength.

“That national recognition matters,” he said. “It affirms that the western U.P. is not just contributing to the regional and state economy — rather, we are contributing to America’s economic and national security.”

Fittante said Copperwood has earned strong bipartisan support, including from the entire U.P. legislative delegation and from the Governor, who have consistently recognized the project’s importance to Michigan’s economy, workforce, and national‒security role.

“That broad coalition reflects a shared understanding across parties and across levels of government,” said Fittante. “Copperwood is essential to the future of the U.P. and to the nation’s ability to meet rising demand for domestically sourced copper.”

While Copperwood has the support of 22 local governments, and bipartisan support from the state and now Washington, it continues to receive intense opposition from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) and multiple environmental groups citing concerns about the underground mine and its proximity to the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, the North Country Trail, and Lake Superior. Opposition centers on claims the Copperwood Mine will pollute the ground water and ultimately, Lake Superior. Its opponents also claim the mine will cause habitat fragmentation, threatening wildlife, disrupt outdoor recreation in the area and impact the nearby Porcupine Mountains.