Strategic Minerals in the New World Order

Abstract

The author discusses U.S. dependence on overseas sources of strategic minerals essential to sustain its economy and defense sector. U.S. vulnerability to a loss of access to important mineral supplies is more pronounced now than at any time since World War II. The uneven distribution of strategic mineral reserves and their concentration in a handful of politically unstable countries make it essential that U.S. policymakers ensure mineral availability in the new world order. The author considers the geographical imbalance of mineral trade patterns, evaluates the stability of the major strategic mineral producing countries, and assesses the potential for mineral supply disruption. He also examines several policy options for reducing U.S. vulnerability to a loss of strategic mineral supplies including retention and modernization of the National Defense Stockpile. Strategic minerals, Mineral trade patterns, National Defense stockpile, Minerals vulnerability, Mining Law of 1872.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 30, 1993
Accession Number
ADA274394

Entities

People

  • Kent H. Butts

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Commerce
  • Economic Systems
  • Environmental Protection
  • Geography
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Organizations
  • International Trade
  • Investments
  • Market Economy
  • Money
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Second World War
  • Sociopolitics
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Aquatic Ecology
  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union