Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40), chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing titled, “Breaking China’s Chokehold on Critical Mineral Supply Chains.”
Watch her remarks HERE or read her opening statement below.
Good afternoon and welcome to the East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee’s hearing titled, “Breaking China’s Chokehold on Critical Mineral Supply Chain.” I want to thank our witnesses for joining us this afternoon.
Critical minerals—lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, and others—are the building blocks of modern technology, powering electric vehicles, microchips, and advanced defense systems. Global demand for these minerals is surging, with lithium demand alone growing nearly 30% annually from 2021 to 2024, driven by rising electric vehicle battery production.
Yet, the People’s Republic of China or PRC controls 92% of global rare earth element processing and dominates the manufacturing of battery and magnet components. This chokehold, reinforced by China’s tens of billions in global mining investments and tactics like price manipulation and export restrictions, poses a direct threat to the United States and our allies.
While the U.S. possesses significant mineral resources, domestic production alone cannot meet the speed or scale of this demand. U.S. mines face high operational costs and significant regulatory burdens. It often takes decades to permit a new mine in America. Moreover, the federal government lacks the financial capacity to fully subsidize the level of investment needed to drive large-scale private sector expansion of domestic production. Relying solely on domestic solutions is insufficient; we need a bold, global strategy to secure resilient, diversified supply chains free from Chinese control.
The current geopolitical landscape offers an opportune window to act. Recent developments, such as President Trump’s critical minerals agreement with Ukraine and the U.S.-facilitated peace deal in the Democratic Republic of Congo, open new opportunities to access vital resources. We’ve also seen coordination like the recently announced Quad critical minerals initiative underscore the importance of critical minerals to broader regional engagement. As the administration renegotiates trade relationships, we can strengthen partnerships with allies to build non-Chinese supply chains, enhancing both economic and national security.
Today’s hearing will explore these challenges and opportunities. We will examine how to build a proactive global strategy to establish supply chains free from Chinese dominance. Our goal is clear: to ensure the United States and its allies have secure, reliable access to the critical minerals that will define the future of technology and security. I look forward to a productive discussion.
