munKNEE.com Your Key to Making Money
What do cobalt, uranium, helium, titanium, and fluorspar have in common? According to the U.S. government, these are all minerals that are deemed critical to both the economic and national security of the country. The list of 35 minerals (listed below) includes those that are important for defense, economic, and industrial purposes – and it keys in especially on minerals that are not produced in substantial quantities domestically.
The original article has been edited here for length (…) and clarity ([ ]) by munKNEE.com – A Site For Sore Eyes & Inquisitive Minds – to provide a fast & easy read.
Which Minerals Are On the Critical List?
The draft list of 35 critical minerals below was released on February 16, 2018 as the result of President Trump’s Executive Order 13817, which asked the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Secretary of Defense to publish a list of mineral commodities that are vital to U.S. interests.
Under the Executive Order, a critical mineral is defined as: A non-fuel mineral or mineral material essential to the economic and national security of the United States, the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption…
Why These Critical Minerals?
We sorted the list based on some of the key uses of these minerals.
Of course, some of these minerals could belong in multiple categories: for example, vanadium is used as a steel and titanium alloy strengthener, but also in rechargeable vanadium flow batteries. That said, the important commonality to note for all of these minerals is their crucial link to the U.S. economy and national security.
Many of these raw materials are produced in limited amounts domestically. In fact, according to the USGS, the country sources at least 31 of the aforementioned materials chiefly through imports. While it is unlikely that these supply chains would ever be disrupted, it’s never a bad idea to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Related Articles From the munKNEE Vault:
Tesla just activated its battery gigafactory, and China is moving to hoard the world’s cobalt supplies at the same time that Trump promises a military build-up that can only happen with the precious metal. This all means supply panic for everything from the electric car break-out to the military industrial complex. Right in the middle of this we have small-cap North American explorers—our new potential barons-in-the-making—in whose hands our energy revolution now lies.
2. Manganese: the Missing Link To Clean Energy Technologies – Here’s Why
Manganese is the missing third link needed to wean the global economy off fossil fuels and enable widespread adoption of renewable clean energy and electric cars. Is manganese on your screen? If not, it should be.
3. These 3 Uranium Stocks Have Great Leverage To Rising Uranium Price
With more than 60 nuclear reactors to open in the near term, and another 140 planned for construction globally, we have identified 3 TSX uranium stocks that have the greatest leverage to a rising uranium price.
4. Supply & Prices of Platinum Could Radically Change Soon – Here’s Why
It’s crunch time for global platinum. With events kicking off this week that could radically change the outlook for supply — and prices — over the coming weeks and months.
5. What You Need to Know About Aluminium
Aluminum (or aluminium) is the world’s most common metal by crustal abundance and, behind iron, is now the second most used metal in the world found in everything – planes, cars, buildings, machinery, consumer durables, packaging, and electrical uses. This infographic illustrates all you need to know about aluminium – its source, uses, consumption, average price, highest producing countries, top producing companies, and more.
6. Forget Gold! Got Copper? Super Boom In Copper Demand Coming – Here’s Why
Some basic math shows that the coming electric car boom will create a super boom in copper demand. In 2016, EVs made up 1.6% of the total U.S. car market and it is expected that EVs will make up 4% by 2021 and – get this – by 2030, the adoption of EVs in the U.S. will be 34%. What does that mean for copper demand?
From what we know about the many and growing market applications for tantalum, the impending supply shortage of tantalum, the present low price for tantalum and the historic high price tantalum commanded just a few years ago it is evident that the future price of tantalum has no where to go but up – big time!
8. Graphite: The Driving Force Behind Green Technology
Global consumption of natural graphite has doubled in the last 10 years and will increase even more so in the next decade due to a) the continuing modernization of China, India and other emerging economies given the strong demand from traditional end uses such as the steel and automotive industries and b) the advent of new applications for graphite such as lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, and nuclear and solar power. As a result of such increased demand prices for large flake, high purity graphite (+80 mesh, 94-97%C) have more than doubled making the mining of such a minerals increasingly profitable. Learn even more by viewing the infographic below.
9. It’s Time to Replace the Refrain “Got Gold?” With “How Much Graphite Stock Do You Own?”
Demand for lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries over the next 8 years – for use in electric and hybrid cars, smart power grids and mobile consumer devices – is going parabolic. Sales of electric/hybrid cars, for example, will be increasing 5-fold to 4,000,000 over that timeframe and every such car will have 30-110kg of graphite in their batteries, depending on the car, that can not be replaced economically. Forget the common refrain “Got gold?” A more appropriate refrain should be “How much graphite stock do you own?” Learn more about graphite in the infographic below.
10. Graphite: The Newest HOT Resource Investment! Here’s Why
The word ‘fad’ doesn’t exist in the minds of true miners and prospectors. However, fads are something that people like you and I can make a lot of money investing in if we are ahead of the curve and right now I believe the graphite sector is in the early stages of the ‘fad’ and will provide a ton of profitable opportunities. [Let’s take a look at just why, where and when you should get positioned in this fast developing sector.]
11. Mining of Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) in Canada by 2017 Offer Major Investment Opportunity
95-97% of the supply of Rare Earth Elements (REE) – integral to the high-technology, nanotechnology, hybrid automotive, aerospace and defence industries – currently comes from China. China has continued to reduce its export quotas to the point where it will only be supplying 50% of the world’s needs by 2015. This will have a major impact on prices for each of the 17 Light (LREE) and Heavy (HREE) elements that comprise the category – and the products in which they are used – unless alternate sources of supply are found. A Canadian company has done just that and will be bringing one of the largest HREE resources in the world (44% HREE, 56% LREE) into production by 2017. Below is an infographic on the REE market and a link to a Proactive One 2One Investor Forum presentation I attended on REE market fundamentals and the development and prospects of Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. and their Strange Lake project.
12. Tungsten Supply Risk Could Have Negative Impact on Cost of Living – Here’s Why
Tungsten is unique in its extremes. It’s extremely hard, heat resistant, dense, and environmentally benign. It’s used to make cemented carbide, one of the strongest and most durable compounds. That’s the positives. but, unfortunately there are negatives too. Take a look at the infographic below for more information.
13. Antimony, Unlike Alimony, Could Actually Make You Money!
The price per metric tonne of antimony has gone up 700% in the last decade and is expected to rise 5% annually to $20,000/tonne by 2020 at which time global reserves should run out. There is only one antimony mine in production in North America and the company is listed on the TSX.V
14. Passport Potash Inc. (TSX.V:PPI): Your Passport to Profits?
I had the pleasure today of attending a presentation by Passport Potash Inc. (TSX.V:PPI & PPRFT:OTCQX) that is “Cultivating Global Growth” in its pursuit of profits. It is an interesting story. Let me share it with you.
15. All the Facts About Physical Platinum & Palladium and How to Easily Invest in Them
With demand rising and supply under pressure, the outlook for investment in physical platinum and palladium is compelling. What are they used for? Where are they produced? What is the global supply/demand for each? Learn the full story from the infographic below.
For all the latest – and best – financial articles sign up (in the top right corner) for your free bi-weekly Market Intelligence Report newsletter (see sample here) or visit our Facebook page.