The Pentagon has moved to acquire up to $1 billion worth of critical minerals as part of an accelerated stockpiling drive aimed at reducing US dependence on China, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing public filings from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
According to FT, the Trump administration directed the Defense Department to expand its national stockpile after Beijing tightened export controls on materials crucial to defence and high-tech industries. China dominates global supply chains for many of these metals, including those used in fighter jets, radar systems and smartphones.
“They’re definitely looking for more, and they’re doing it in a deliberate and expansive way,” one former US defence official told the newspaper. The $1…
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Source www.mining.com
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