Late yesterday evening, President Trump declared a national emergency concerning the United States reliance on imports of certain “critical minerals.” The Executive Order directs a number of federal agencies, to take certain actions in the coming weeks and months to address what the order describes as “undue reliance on critical minerals” imported from “foreign adversaries.”
Commerce Department Set to Investigate Whether Imports of Vanadium Threaten to Impair National Security
On June 3, 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (“Commerce”) Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published notice in the Federal Register of its initiation of an investigation to determine whether imports of vanadium threaten to impair the national security. According to a press release, Commerce is initiating the investigation based on a petition filed on November 19, 2019 by two U.S. producers of vanadium — AMG Vanadium LLC, and U.S. Vanadium LLC.
Vanadium is a metallic element often used as an alloying agent in the production of steel and other metals. It is used to improve the resulting metal’s hardness, ductility, and toughness. Typical end uses for vanadium-alloyed steels include armor plates, parts of jet engines, and cutting tools.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, vanadium is mined mostly in Brazil, China, Russia, and South Africa. Vanadium can also be produced through a secondary process. This source also indicates that from 2015-2018, U.S. demand was supplied 100 percent by imports.
Continue Reading Commerce Department Set to Investigate Whether Imports of Vanadium Threaten to Impair National Security
Commerce Department Completes Section 232 Probe Into Steel Imports But Stays Mum on the Findings
Yesterday evening the Commerce Department sent to the White House its findings in the Section 232 national security investigation on steel imports. The much anticipated report was originally due to be issued last year, but faced several delays. The President now has the authority to decide whether to accept or reject the Commerce Department’s findings