WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the prospect growing of a major infrastructure build out and renewed emphasis on domestic manufacturing, America’s dependence on imported minerals and metals required for new roads, bridges and the full spectrum of consumer goods is at record levels, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Minerals Information Center’s recently released annual report, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2017.
“This trend, documented now by the federal government, is troubling as these metals are the building blocks of our supply chain and our infrastructure,” said National Mining Association President and CEO Hal Quinn. “Although we have these minerals and metals in abundance, an inefficient permitting process has slowed access to them and steadily increased our reliance on foreign sources such as China.”
According to the USGS report, in 2016, imports made up more than one-half of the U.S. apparent consumption of 50 nonfuel mineral commodities, and the United States was 100 percent import reliant for 20 of those. This is up from 47 and 19 minerals respectively in 2015, and it marks a record high.
U.S. import reliance has increased significantly since 1978, the year that this information was first reported. At that time, the United States was 100 percent import reliant on seven mineral commodities, and more than 50 percent import reliant for 25 mineral commodities.
The U.S. government’s process for securing the necessary mine permits now takes close to 10 years – one of the longest permitting processes in the world for mining projects. By comparison, permitting processes in Australia and Canada, which have similar environmental standards and practices as the U.S., take between two and three years.
Federal lands account for as much as 86 percent of the land area in certain Western states and these same states account for 75 percent of our nation’s metals production. Half of the nation’s hardrock mineral estate is already off-limits or under restrictions for mineral development. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has proposed withdrawing up to 10 million acres of land from new mining operations, significantly impacting the ability to develop domestic minerals on federal lands
"WASHINGTON, DC - Pamoja na matarajio ya kuongezeka kwa ujenzi mkubwa wa miundombinu na msisitizo mpya juu ya utengenezaji wa ndani, utegemezi wa Amerika kwa madini na metali zinazohitajika kwa barabara mpya, madaraja na aina kamili ya bidhaa za watumiaji uko katika viwango vya rekodi, kulingana na ripoti ya kila mwaka ya Kituo cha Habari cha Madini cha USGS, ""Mineral Commodity Summaries 2017.""" "Mwelekeo huu, ulioandikwa sasa na serikali ya shirikisho, ni wasiwasi kama metali hizi ni vitalu vya ujenzi wa mlolongo wetu wa usambazaji na miundombinu yetu, "alisema Rais wa Chama cha Kitaifa cha Madini na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji Hal Quinn." "Ijapokuwa tuna madini na metali nyingi, mchakato wa kutoa vibali haufanyi kazi kwa kasi na kuongeza utegemezi wetu kwa vyanzo vya kigeni kama vile China, ""alisema ripoti ya USGS, ""katika 2016, uagizaji ulifanyiza zaidi ya nusu ya matumizi ya dhahiri ya madini 50 yasiyo ya mafuta, na Marekani ilikuwa na uaminifu wa uagizaji wa asilimia 100 kwa 20 ya hizo." Hii ni juu kutoka kwa madini 47 na 19 kwa mtiririko huo mnamo 2015, na inashika rekodi ya juu. Utegemezi wa Marekani kwa bidhaa za nje umeongezeka sana tangu 1978, mwaka ambao taarifa hii iliripotiwa kwa mara ya kwanza. Wakati huo, Marekani ilikuwa inategemea asilimia 100 ya uagizaji wa bidhaa saba za madini, na zaidi ya asilimia 50 ya uagizaji wa bidhaa 25 za madini. Utaratibu wa serikali ya Marekani wa kupata vibali vya madini unachukua karibu miaka kumi, moja ya taratibu ndefu zaidi za kutoa vibali duniani kwa miradi ya madini. Kwa kulinganisha, mchakato wa kutoa ruhusa nchini Australia na Canada, ambazo zina viwango na mazoea ya mazingira sawa na Marekani, huchukua kati ya miaka miwili na mitatu. Nchi za shirikisho zinawakilisha asilimia 86 ya eneo la ardhi katika majimbo fulani ya Magharibi na majimbo hayo yanawakilisha asilimia 75 ya uzalishaji wa chuma wa taifa letu. Nusu ya ardhi ya madini ya taifa tayari imefungwa au iko chini ya vizuizi vya maendeleo ya madini. Wizara ya Mambo ya Ndani ya Marekani (DOI) imependekeza kuondoa ardhi ya ekari milioni 10 kutoka kwa shughuli mpya za madini, ikisababisha athari kubwa kwa uwezo wa kuendeleza madini ya ndani kwenye ardhi ya shirikisho.