According to Madan News, in an unexpected move, the US Department of the Interior, at the suggestion of the Trump administration, added 10 new minerals, including metallurgical coal, copper, silver, and uranium, to the list of materials vital to the economy and national security.

The US Department of the Interior announced that the new list of critical minerals includes metallurgical coal, copper, silver, boron, lead, phosphate, potash, rhenium, silicon, and uranium. This list determines which projects will be eligible for federal incentives and national priority research and storage, and guides private investors as to which materials the government sees as having long-term strategic value.

In fact, this list is part of Washington's larger program to more securely supply the minerals needed by the defense, technology, and clean energy industries—but the inclusion of coal and uranium sends a dual message in US energy policy.

 Domestic industry versus global risks

American officials believe that strengthening domestic mineral production will be a defensive shield against global supply shocks or export restrictions from competitors like China. China still dominates the global refining of critical elements and can disrupt the Western energy and manufacturing chain with any export restrictions. Therefore, the United States has no choice but to localize the extraction, processing, and storage of critical minerals to reduce dependence.

Coal and uranium; Two controversial substances

The presence of coal and uranium on the list of critical materials has created a wave of criticism of Trump's energy policy.

While uranium mining is prohibited in British Columbia and the Navajo Nation indigenous areas, and Quebec has had environmental restrictions in this area since 2013, the Washington government is seeking to revive part of the old extraction capacity in the western United States.

On the other hand, coal has long been abandoned in developed economies due to high carbon dioxide emissions and severe pollution. England, Belgium, Sweden, and Portugal have completely stopped using this fuel; but the United States apparently intends to keep it as a strategic industrial fuel.

 Global implications and comparison with Europe and Asia

In Europe, the trend of eliminating coal accelerated after the Fukushima crisis and the growth of renewable technologies, but emerging economies in Asia are following a different path. According to the "Oil Price" report, global coal demand reached its highest level in 2024, with most of the growth occurring in China and India; two countries that are still building new coal-fired power plants to support solar and wind energy. In 2023, the amount of construction of these power plants in China exceeded the total of other parts of the world.