![](https://www.mining.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/peabody-coal-mine-1024x683.jpg)
US mines produced an estimated $74.6 billion in minerals last year
The country, however, was 100% import reliant on 20 mineral commodities, including rare earths, manganese and niobium, which are among a suite of materials often designated as “critical” or “strategic.”