Tensions between the United States and China continue to rise as the Asian country responds to US President Donald Trump’s trade actions. In the middle of a silent war that involves lithium, China has decided to restrict the import of 17 critical rare minerals, which has put the United States on alert since the country depends on imported components to produce electronics and other devices on its territory. Now, a powerful mine located in a US state could change the situation once and for all, and even mean a goodbye to lithium in the world.
The discovery could change the United States’ situation for good
Known for their use in the production of electronic equipment and various devices, rare earth minerals are found in various places. Although they are not rare in terms of location, finding a mine with the right conditions to extract these minerals is extremely difficult and expensive.
The United States usually imports these materials directly from China, which is the largest miner and processor of rare earth minerals in the world. However, due to a series of tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump, China decided to respond commercially and stopped the import of these minerals, putting the US in trouble.
Now, a mine discovered in Texas could change this situation once and for all
The Round Top Mountain, located near Sierra Blanca, in Hudspeth County, Texas, is one of the biggest deposits of heavy rare-earth elements (REE) in the US. This mine is known in particular for the abundance of a specific mineral: gallium. Used to produce gallium nitride semiconductors, and key components for electronic devices, gallium is an elusive metal with no existing primary mines.
Its rarity is due to the difficulty in finding this mineral in the proper amount and concentration to be mined. According to some sources, the mine located in Texas might be extremely rare once it has more than 36,500 tons of gallium. With the operations for mining gallium from this mine, the US will reinforce its place as the world’s second-biggest rare earth producer. Data provided by the US Geological Survey (USGS) put the US as the second-biggest rare earth producer in the world. In 2019, the country produced 26,000t of rare-earth oxide (REO), following China.
In addition to gallium, this mine has other rare-earth elements
According to some sources, the Round Top Mountain is characterised by rhyolites containing both heavy and light REEs in a concentrated manner. It also has pegmatites containing a host of critical minerals, including lithium, uranium, and thorium. Due to its particularities, this mine is capable of producing 17 rare earth minerals and can be a game-changer in the silent war between the US and China.
The estimated amount of RRE in this mine is up to 364,000t, it also contains 735,00t of inferred resources containing RREs, technology metals, and industrial minerals. Once the mining process starts, it is expected to produce 20,000 tonnes per day. Once extracted, the ore will be conveyed to a crushing plant near the extraction point to be processed.
The gallium produced in this mine could help the US towards self-sufficiency
With the possibility of mining the REEs located at this mine, the United States has a great chance of pursuing its plans for self-sufficiency in the production of REEs. With gallium representing one of the most desired materials for the production of electronic device components, the structure of this mine could be even more significant for the local industry. Having this in mind, the US movement to search for natural resources and REEs revealed some undercovered sites that may be considered an underground weapon, and this one may be fundamental to this silent war.