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USGS Adds Copper to Critical Minerals List

Date postedNovember 18, 2025
Posted By: Jerrod Weaver News, Industry, NFFS,

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has officially added copper to the 2025 U.S. Critical Minerals List, marking an important milestone for domestic manufacturers—and a significant policy development long advocated by NFFS. The updated list, released November 6 by the Department of the Interior, identifies 60 minerals essential to the nation’s economic prosperity and national security whose supply chains face heightened risk of disruption. Copper is one of ten minerals added based on new data, supply-chain analysis, and interagency recommendations.

NFFS strongly supported this outcome. In January 2023, the Society joined the Copper Development Association in urging the USGS to recognize copper’s growing strategic importance, citing rising import dependence, supply instability, and its foundational role across the U.S. industrial base. Despite copper’s longstanding use and broad application—from electrical infrastructure to transportation, electronics, and national defense—the metal was notably absent from the 2022 Critical Minerals List. NFFS emphasized that copper’s increasing supply-risk profile, compounded by global market shifts and geopolitical pressures, warranted immediate designation.

The 2025 List reflects a more comprehensive, science-based assessment of mineral supply risk. As USGS Director Ned Mamula noted, “Critical minerals underpin industries worth trillions of dollars, and import dependence puts key sectors at risk.” The addition of copper aligns with this recognition. Copper ranks third globally in industrial consumption, behind only iron and aluminum, and is indispensable to power generation, distribution, electrification infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and defense systems. With electrical applications alone accounting for approximately three-quarters of all copper use, continued supply reliability is essential to domestic manufacturing and defense readiness.

For the nonferrous foundry industry, copper’s designation has meaningful implications. While the Critical Minerals List does not create automatic regulatory or funding changes, it serves as the policy foundation for numerous federal actions—including permitting support, supply-chain investments, research funding, tax incentives, and domestic production initiatives. The designation elevates copper in legislative and executive discussions and ensures it receives consideration within federal programs focused on strengthening strategic and economic resilience.

Creation of the Critical Minerals List originated under Executive Order 13817 (2017) and was later codified in the Energy Act of 2020. The list is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect changing supply conditions. The 2025 update includes copper alongside boron, lead, metallurgical coal, phosphate, potash, rhenium, silicon, silver, and uranium, underscoring the dynamic nature of global mineral markets.

NFFS applauds this long-overdue designation and will continue to monitor and report on federal policies affecting copper supply chains, domestic manufacturing, and the nonferrous foundry industry. Additional information on the inclusion of copper on the Critical Minerals List is available on the USGS website at https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-snippet/interior-department-releases-final-2025-list-critical-minerals. 

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