U.S. House Approves Legislation Meant To Counter China’s Rare Earths Dominance

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved H.R. 7037, the Developing Overseas Mineral Investments and New Allied Networks for Critical Energies (DOMINANCE) Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at reducing the United States’s reliance on strategic competitors — particularly China — for critical minerals essential to its defense, technology, and advanced manufacturing sectors.

As the National Association of Manufacturers explained, the bill reflects several priorities manufacturers have championed, including stronger cooperation with trusted partners, investment protections, workforce development and more predictable regulatory standards.

Specifically, the DOMINANCE Act:

• Facilitates cooperation on joint projects with partners, including through cost-sharing agreements, political risk insurance, pricing mechanisms and procurement;
• Strengthens investment protections in partner governments;
• Establishes a Critical Minerals Mining Fellowship Program to help expand the manufacturing workforce; and
• Coordinates standards to promote a predictable and transparent regulatory environment for critical mineral supply chains.

“Securing reliable access to critical minerals is not a Democratic or Republican issue — it’s an American issue,” said Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), one of the sponsors of the bill. “Today, China controls roughly 90 percent 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. The United States must continue expanding domestic mining, processing, refining, and recycling capacity, but we cannot build secure and resilient supply chains alone.”

The legislation now moves on to consideration by the U.S. Senate.