critical mineral

American  

[krit-i-kuhl min-er-uhl, min-ruhl] / ˈkrɪt ɪ kəl ˈmɪn ər əl, ˈmɪn rəl /

noun

1. a mineral or element, such as aluminum, cobalt, lithium, or nickel, that is declared by the U.S. government to be necessary for the production of nationally important technologies and is difficult to source, especially because of its rarity or location.

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Etymology

Origin of critical mineral

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

At an event Wednesday, officials from the U.S. and other governments pledged investments to expand supplies of critical minerals and reduce reliance on China.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This is a test case of Pakistan’s international guarantees that we are providing an enabling environment for foreign investment on critical minerals,” said Hussain, who called the recent attacks highly coordinated and sophisticated.

From The Wall Street Journal

A longer-term goal is making Japan’s economy more secure by weaning it off Chinese-centered supply chains for essential materials such as critical minerals, and honing Japan’s technological edge.

From The Wall Street Journal

Among the strategies under discussion is closer evaluation of foreign investments in such protected industries as automotive, copper, steel, aluminum and critical minerals, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Reprisals have included squeezing Japanese companies’ access to critical minerals and magnets that are essential to manufacturing.

From The Wall Street Journal