A top Biden official who’s been crisscrossing the globe to forge new critical mineral deals and challenge Beijing’s dominance over clean energy markets says the work will continue, driven by the sheer demand for minerals.
Jose Fernandez, a senior State Department official whose tenure will end Jan. 20, said the world will continue to pursue projects to mine and process raw materials like lithium, cobalt and nickel.
“The rest of the world will not stand by,” Fernandez said. “The world will continue to pursue these projects.”
While President-elect Donald Trump is considered to be an ally of the U.S. mining sector and is expected to accelerate the focus on critical minerals, it’s not clear whether his administration will keep intact a number of Biden-era policies and initiatives, including U.S. participation in the Mineral Security Partnership.
