America's future depends on copper, and it meets every component of the U.S. Geological Survey’s definition of a Critical Mineral.

Copper is essential to economic and national security.

Copper plays a key role in energy technology, defense, consumer electronics, and other applications.

Copper's supply chain is vulnerable to disruption.
Copper and the Critical Minerals List
With its release of the 2022 Critical Minerals List, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) relied upon data from 2018 which was already considerably out of date. The world has changed dramatically since that time as the demand for copper has accelerated. The Copper Development Association engaged an analyst to update the copper supply risk score with the most recently available data through 2023. With the new data, and because of skyrocketing imports into the U.S., copper’s supply risk score in 2023 is up to 0.488 and the four-year weighted average score is now up to 0.456 – both above the USGS 0.40 threshold for inclusion on the list. USGS must therefore include copper on the 2025 Critical Minerals List.
Import reliance of copper is
On the Rise
US net import reliance is up from 29.6% in 2016 to 41.2% in 2023 – increasing the trade exposure risk

S&P Global says net import reliance will grow to 60% in 2035 without new domestic production
Despite its clear criticality, dramatic uptick in import penetration, and the increase in productionby adversarial countries, copper was not included on the 2022 U.S. Critical Minerals list.
Given the significant change in the supply risk to copper, which shows no signs of slowing down, the USGS and Secretary of Interior should include copper on the 2025 Critical Minerals List.
Supply disruption potential of copper is
On the Rise
Foreign adversaries China, Russia & Iran accounted for 52% of all non-U.S. global refined copper production in 2023, up from 42% in 2016

Copper's USGS supply risk score is
On the Rise
The result of these is that copper’s USGS supply risk score has grown from .334 in 2018 (timeframe when USGS last calculated scores) to .488 in 2023
– well above the .40 threshold score to be added to the list.

A broad coalition of public policy and industry leaders in Washington and beyond agreed copper is critical!
Senate

Senator
Kyrsten Sinema (I- AZ)

Senator
Mike Braun (R-IN)

Senator
Mark Kelly (D-AZ)

Senator
Joe Manchin (I-WV)

Senator
Mitt Romney (R-UT)

Senator
Raphael Warnock (D-GA)
These additional Senators also believe copper should be an official Critical Mineral

Senator
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Governors

Doug Burgum
State of North Dakota

Jim Justice
State of West Virginia

Bill Lee
State of Tennessee

Mark Gordon
State of Wyoming

Tate Reeves
State of Mississippi

Brian P. Kemp
State of Georgia

Brad Little
State of Idaho

Spencer Cox
State of Utah

Mike Dunleavy
State of Alaska

Joe Lombardo
State of Nevada
Associations & Unions

American Foundry Society (AFS)

American Supply Association

Arizona Mining Association

Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE)

Copper & Brass Supply Chain Association (CBSCA)

Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association

Electric School Bus Coalition (ESBC)

Empire Clean Cities

Greater Boston Plumbing Contractors Association

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (The IAPMO Group)

International Code Council (ICC)

National Electrical Manufactures Association (NEMA)

National Mining Association (NMA)

New Mexico Mining Association (NMMA)

Non-Ferrous Founders' Society (NFFS)

North American Metals Council (NAMC)

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors-National Association

PHCC of California

Plumbing Manufacturers International

Precision Machined Products Association

Precision Metalforming Association

Treated Wood Council

United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters of the United States and Canada

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA)
Industry

Acronis SCS

Action Plumbing and Heating

Alconex Specialty Products, Inc.

AMES Copper Group

Amity Die & Stamping LLC

Arizona Sonoran Copper Company

Aurubis Buffalo, Inc.

Aviva Metals, Inc.

Bunting Bearings LLC

Cambridge-Lee Industries, LLC

Carter Alloys Company

Christymetals

Cocalico Plumbing & Heating

Concast Metal Products

Copperweld

Dolan Inc.

Eaton

Farmers Copper Ltd

Fortress Wood Products

Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

Great Lakes Copper

Greenwood Fabricating & Plating

Heliox

Hussey Copper

IMC MetalsAmerica

IWG Owl Wire

Keats Mfg. Co.

Kenmode Tool and Engineering

Materion Corporation

Midwest Transportation, LLC

Miles Chemical

Molex

Morgan Bronze Products, Inc.

Mueller Brass Co

Mueller Industries, Inc.

Mueller Streamline Co.

New England Trading Global

Prime Materials Recovery, Inc.

Revere Copper Products, Inc.

Rio Tinto America

S+S Industries

SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS

SEA Electric

Southwire Company LLC

Stanley Spring & Stamping Corp.

thyssenkrupp materials

Titan International, Inc.

U.S. Brass & Copper

Viega LLC

Zenobe
Take Action
Given the significant change in the supply risk to copper, which shows no signs of slowing down, we need to act immediately to enable the copper industry to provide the essential inputs that copper provides to our national defense and economic security.
Download our toolkit, and urge the Secretary of Interior to immediately add copper to the Critical Minerals List!
