The U.S. Military and NATO Face Serious Risks of Mineral Shortages

By Gregory Wischer – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The importance of these minerals makes them a dangerous vulnerability if their supply chains are not secure—and unfortunately, the U.S. and other NATO militaries rely on defense industrial bases with vulnerable mineral supply chains. Given their limited domestic mineral production, both the United States and Europe depend heavily on mineral imports, including from rival powers like China, which supplies minerals such as graphite, rare earth elements, and other battery minerals, and Russia, which provides aluminum, nickel, and titanium. In June 2023, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned the alliance to avoid becoming overdependent on Chinese minerals, just as many NATO countries previously became overdependent on Russian gas. Additionally, the U.S. government holds limited mineral inventories in its National Defense Stockpile, while the European Union (EU) has walked back its plans to develop a centralized mineral stockpile.