Every time you use your phone, open your computer or listen to your favorite music on AirPods, you are relying on critical minerals.

These materials are the tiny building blocks powering modern life. From lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite in batteries to gallium in telecommunication systems that enable constant connectivity, critical minerals act as the essential vitamins of modern technology: small in volume but vital to function.

Yet the United States depends heavily on imports for most critical materials. In 2024 the United States imported 80 percent of rare earth elements it used; 100 percent of gallium and natural graphite; and 48 percent to 76 percent of lithium, nickel and cobalt, to name a few.

Rising global demand, high import dependency and growing geopolitical tensions have made critical mineral supply an increasing national security concern — and one of the most urgent supply-chain challenges of our time.

That raises a question: Could the