What will another four years mean for the American mining industry?
It’s official, Donald Trump has been inaugurated and is back in the White House for another four years. But what does this mean for the American mining industry?
While the US is somewhat dependent on foreign critical mineral supply chains, the mining industry is still very active within the country itself.
Mineral rich
Coal is a frequently mined commodity in states such as Wyoming, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Kentucky. Copper is another common material, found in Arizona, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Other minerals commonly found in the US include gold, iron ore, lithium and uranium.
“One of the common misconceptions among policymakers and much of the public is that the country doesn’t have the mineral resources to secure its own mineral supply chains,” said National Mining Association’s (NMA) senior vice president of communications Ashley Burke. “The US is, in fact, mineral rich but what we have lacked is the focused, coherent policy to turn mineral potential into mineral production.”
This prolific collection of minerals has many Americans pushing for domestic production.
With Trump back in power, mining operators will likely face further deregulation of the mining industry to promote American blue-collar work and independence from foreign supply.
“Deregulation will be central to everything we see, particularly in contrast with the regulatory overreach of the past four years,” said Burke.
One of the countries the US will likely distance itself from is China, which currently accounts for over half of the world’s refining of aluminium, lithium and cobalt, as well as a majority of rare earth metals.
Trump’s decoupling from China will take the form of tariffs on 60% to 100% of goods from the country on top of his proposed blanket tariff on all imports of up to 20%.
This could pose challenges for American mining companies that are still reliant on foreign supply chains, as well as Americans purchasing the final, likely more expensive, product. However, Trump has been consistent in his belief that American companies should reshore and there will likely be a focus on that.
“Beyond any specific country or threat–we need to focus on building up our domestic mining industry and strengthening our supply chains within them so we can truly fulfil our minerals and energy potential,” said Burke.
Trump will likely pursue deregulation of land and permits, expediting processes where possible to encourage this.
At a Minnesota rally in July, Trump vowed to undo Biden’s 20-year mining ban in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, stating, “I will reverse the Biden-Harris attack on your way of life and we will turn the Iron Range into a mineral powerhouse like never before.”
Artificial intelligence
The US will also need to harness mining technology to keep up with competitors. Artificial Intelligence, for example, is rapidly infiltrating many aspects of the mining industry. A 2024 survey by data analytics company GlobalData showed over 80% of employees at major mines think AI will noticeably impact their mine in the next decade.
British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto is a good example of an organisation that is using AI to enhance its business. The company has made headlines most recently because of its collaboration with space exploration company Fleet Space to develop 3D subsurface maps that will advance exploration at the Rincon Lithium Project in Argentina.
Drawing subsurface maps is a particularly useful skill Rio Tinto frequently uses at 98% of its mines with its own technology, the Rio Tinto Visualisation Tool (RTVis).
RTVis allows the company to visualise surface and subsurface features and collect detailed information about an area. Such visualisation helps achieve better drilling and blast accuracy, reduced explosive use and better waste classification.
AI can also assist in environmental protection, which is becoming a requirement for many mines worldwide.
When mining bauxite at Weipa in Australia, Rio Tinto also uses AI to gather data about nearby Palm Cockatoo nests and develop a plan of long-term protection. As the United States hosts a number of endangered species, finding an automated, efficient way to document potential hot spots could save countless resources.
