US passes DOMINANCE Act for critical minerals security

The US House of Representatives passed on Monday a bipartisan legislation — called the DOMINANCE (Developing Overseas Mineral Investments and New Allied Networks for Critical Energies) Act — that aims to address America’s access to energy and critical minerals.

Bill H.R.7037 was introduced by Representatives Ami Bera, MD (CA) and Young Kim (CA) to strengthen US energy security, reduce reliance on China for critical minerals, and build more resilient supply chains with trusted allies and partners.

Critical minerals are essential to America’s defense industrial base, advanced manufacturing sector and emerging technologies. Yet China’s near total dominance in rare earth processing continues to create a strategic vulnerability for the United States and its allies.

The DOMINANCE Act addresses this by expanding cooperation with allies and partners, supporting strategic mineral and energy investments, strengthening US energy diplomacy, and investing in the workforce and expertise needed to build secure, diversified and resilient critical mineral supply chains.

“Securing reliable access to critical minerals is not a Democratic or Republican issue—it’s an American issue,” Bera said in a news release.

“Today, China controls roughly 90% of global rare earth processing capacity, creating a strategic vulnerability that Beijing has shown it is willing to exploit through export restrictions and economic coercion,” he continued.

“The United States must continue expanding domestic mining, processing, refining and recycling capacity, but we cannot build secure and resilient supply chains alone.”

The DOMINANCE Act, according to Bera, allows Washington to strengthen its cooperation with trusted allies and partners, mobilize strategic investment, and align diplomatic and economic tools to reduce dependence on vulnerable supply chains.

The legislation has earned support from a diverse coalition of organizations across the national security, manufacturing, technology, energy, and policy communities, including Third Way, the Progressive Policy Institute, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Climate Leadership Council, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Information Technology Industry Council, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) Center for Critical Minerals Strategy, and the US-ASEAN Business Council.