The U.S. Interior Department has declared titanium one of the 35 mineral commodities that are vital to U.S. economic and national security. The strong, lightweight metal is integral to a broad range of high-tech uses in defense, space exploration, and electric vehicles.
Unfortunately, the U.S. produces virtually no titanium. It relies on imports for more than 90 percent of its titanium ore, the material needed to produce titanium metal. America now has no domestic titanium metal production since the last American plant that made titanium sponge — a porous form of titanium from the first stage of processing the metal — closed in Henderson, Nevada.
U.S. dependence on foreign sources of titanium puts American interests at risk, especially since China and Russia have a large and growing share of the world titanium market.
President Biden has made clear that he is worried about supply chain dangers like this one. On February 24th, he signed an Executive Order that directs federal agencies to secure and strengthen America’s supply chains. The titanium supply chain is certainly among those that need to be addressed.
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