President Donald Trump has made the raw materials of modern life a pillar of U.S. foreign policy
Trump makes US copper mining a focus of his domestic minerals policyBy MEAD GRUVERAssociated PressThe Associated PressCHEYENNE, Wyo.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — President Donald Trump is taking a step toward granting the U.S. mining industry’s biggest wishes by singling out one metal as a focus of his domestic minerals policy: copper.
From talk of acquiring Greenland and its vast mineral wealth to prodding Ukraine for minerals in exchange for help fending off Russia’s invasion, Trump has made the raw materials of modern life a pillar of his foreign policy.
An executive order Trump signed Tuesday calls for boosting the domestic copper industry by investigating the national security implications of imports and weighing tariffs as a response.
“The United States has ample copper reserves, yet our smelting and refining capacity lags significantly behind global competitors,” the order reads.