Watch the full interview from EWTN News Nightly with Major General Bill Crane (Ret.) on "Why Reliance on China's Critical Minerals is Risky"
Rough Transcript:
VERONICA DUDO (EWTN): Retired Major General Bill Crane, a former Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, joins me now. Thanks for joining.
MAJ. GEN. CRANE: Thanks for having me.
EWTN: First, can you briefly explain to our viewers how modern economies and militaries run on rare earth minerals?
MAJ. GEN. CRANE: Yes. Just as one example, I’ll mention antimony. Antimony is in all of our bullets and in our weapons systems. Back in December, China shut off antimony supplies to the United States. That immediately became a national security issue. Thankfully, we’re now trying to onshore some of that production—especially the processing—back to the United States.
EWTN: China currently controls the majority of global production and processing of critical minerals. Policymakers are working to de-risk from China. You’ve suggested a two-prong approach: mining in the U.S., and also reusing minerals. Tell us more about this and why it matters for national security.
MAJ. GEN. CRANE: From a national security perspective, we simply cannot allow ourselves to lack our own supply. We need to onshore more mining and processing here in the United States, while also working with our allies to strike more agreements so we can ensure everyone has the supplies they need.
I’m also working with the Responsible Battery Coalition as we stand up a Critical Minerals Roundtable. The goal is to keep examining these issues and provide recommendations to Congress, the White House, and industry leaders.
EWTN: In the meantime, what role should U.S. industrial policy and partnerships with allies like Australia, Canada, and Japan play in building a more resilient and diversified critical minerals supply chain?
MAJ. GEN. CRANE: The President has done a great job traveling the world and securing these agreements. That’s exactly what we need to counter China’s dominance in rare earth and critical mineral processing. We once led the world in processing, but much of that capacity moved to China. We need to work together with our allies—and invest—to bring processing back to the United States.
EWTN: What is a realistic timeline for bringing this processing back?
MAJ. GEN. CRANE: The timeline depends on our level of investment and how quickly we act. Right now, we have about a one-year window with China easing supplies, but we need to accelerate efforts immediately. Some mining projects are already being worked on here. We know how to mine. It’s the processing capability that we urgently need to restore in the United States.
EWTN: Retired Major General Bill Crane, thank you so much.
MAJ. GEN. CRANE: Thank you.
