Critical Minerals

Critical minerals have been called the oil of the twenty-first century and are crucial in cutting-edge defense and AI technologies. CSIS is spearheading research on how critical minerals and their supply chains can impact global economies, technology competition, and national security.

Latest Analysis

Photo: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

Economic Warfare and Military Power

As strategic competition intensifies, the United States needs a clearer way to use finance, trade, industrial policy, and regulation to strengthen its own defense base while making it harder for adversaries to turn economic strength into military power. 

Brief by Benjamin Jensen and Jacob Clayton — May 26, 2026

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Past Events

Photo: © Marco Bottigelli/GETTY IMAGES

Photo: © Marco Bottigelli/GETTY IMAGES

The Futures Summit Day 1

April 10, 2026 • 8:30 am – 4:30 pm EDT
Hosted by Global Development
See all events on Critical Minerals

Related Programs

Experts

Jerry McGinn

Jerry McGinn

Director, Center for the Industrial Base and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department

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The Future of U.S.–Africa Minerals Diplomacy

Join the CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program for a high-level forum on the future of U.S-Africa cooperation in minerals and energy, and what a more commercially-focused partnership could look like.

Event — September 18, 2026

The Trade Guys

Zainab Usman on Critical Minerals and AGOA

Bill and Scott welcome Zainab Usman, senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, to discuss critical minerals and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Podcast Episode by Scott Miller and William Alan Reinsch — August 17, 2026

CSIS The Trade Guys

Aligning the U.S. and Canadian Defense Industrial Bases

On this episode of All About the Base, Dr. Jerry McGinn unpacks U.S.-Canadian industrial integration with Ms. Joanne Lostracco, Minister at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and Director General of Defence Procurement with Public Services & Procurement Canada.

Event — July 13, 2026

Is the Industrial Base on a Wartime Footing? A Progress Report

On this episode of All About the Base, Dr. Jerry McGinn assesses where progress toward placing the industrial base on a wartime footing is being made across priority areas like munitions, supply chains, and allied cooperation, and identifies where greater focus is needed.

Event — June 29, 2026

Economic Warfare and Military Power

As strategic competition intensifies, the United States needs a clearer way to use finance, trade, industrial policy, and regulation to strengthen its own defense base while making it harder for adversaries to turn economic strength into military power. 

Brief by Benjamin Jensen and Jacob Clayton — May 26, 2026

Rare Earth Export Restrictions One Year Later

China’s 2025 rare earth export restrictions exposed a critical U.S. national security vulnerability. Washington responded with billions in financing and global partnerships. One year on, we assess the response—and how far the United States still is from true resilience.

Brief by Gracelin Baskaran and Meredith Schwartz — April 27, 2026

Minerals Diplomacy Meets Market Reality: The Case of Pakistan

Pakistan’s mineral resources offer long-term potential for diversifying supply chains. However, security risks, weak institutions, and structural constraints are foundational challenges that increase risk exposure for any U.S.–Pakistan minerals partnership.

Report by Meredith Schwartz and Gracelin Baskaran — April 15, 2026