[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3962 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3962
To establish a comprehensive United States strategy to address the
national security threat posed by the People's Republic of China's
control of nearly \2/3\ of the global supply of critical minerals, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 30, 2022
Mr. Lankford (for himself, Mr. King, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Warner)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a comprehensive United States strategy to address the
national security threat posed by the People's Republic of China's
control of nearly \2/3\ of the global supply of critical minerals, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Quad Critical Minerals Partnership
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The People's Republic of China is the global leader in
mining, refining, and component manufacturing of critical
minerals, producing approximately 85 percent of the world's
supply between 2011 and 2017.
(2) In 2019, the United States imported an estimated 80
percent of its critical minerals from the People's Republic of
China.
(3) On March 26, 2014, the World Trade Organization ruled
that the People's Republic of China's export restraints on
critical minerals violated its obligations under its protocol
of accession to the World Trade Organization, thereby harming
United States manufacturers and workers.
(4) The Chinese Communist Party has threatened to leverage
the People's Republic of China's dominant position in the
critical minerals market to ``strike back'' at the United
States.
(5) The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a strategic
security dialogue comprised of the United States, Australia,
Japan, and India that facilitates multilateral cooperation in
areas of shared interest to advance a free and open Indo-
Pacific region.
(6) The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is an effective
partnership for reliable multilateral financing, development,
and distribution of goods for global consumption, as evidenced
by the Quad Vaccine Partnership announced on March 12, 2021.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the People's Republic of China's dominant share of the
global critical minerals market is a threat to the economic
stability, well-being, and competitiveness of key industries in
the United States;
(2) the United States should reduce reliance on the
People's Republic of China for critical minerals through--
(A) strategic investments in development projects,
production technologies, and refining facilities in the
United States; or
(B) in partnership with strategic allies of the
United States that are reliable trading partners,
including members of the Quadrilateral Security
Dialogue;
(3) the United States International Development Finance
Corporation should collaborate with its counterpart entities in
Japan, Australia, and India to finance a more reliable and
secure supply chain of critical minerals; and
(4) the United States Trade Representative should initiate
multilateral talks among the countries of the Quadrilateral
Security Dialogue to promote shared investment and development
of critical minerals.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to pursue a more reliable and secure supply chain of
critical minerals;
(2) to reduce reliance on the People's Republic of China
for critical minerals; and
(3) to partner, consult, and coordinate with the
governments of the countries in the Quadrilateral Security
Dialogue in a concerted effort to make significant strategic
investments in development projects, production technologies,
and refining facilities for critical minerals.
SEC. 5. COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY.
(a) In General.--The President shall establish a comprehensive
strategy to address the national security threat posed by the People's
Republic of China's control of nearly \2/3\ of the global supply of
critical minerals by developing a more reliable and secure supply chain
of critical minerals.
(b) Elements.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall
include efforts to develop a more reliable and secure supply chain of
critical minerals, including the following:
(1) Plans to partner, consult, and coordinate with the
governments of the other countries in the Quadrilateral
Security Dialogue in a concerted effort to make significant
strategic investments in development projects, production
technologies, and refining facilities.
(2) A strategy to leverage the partnership of the United
States International Development Finance Corporation and its
counterpart entities in those countries.
(3) A strategy to decrease trade barriers for the
development, production, refinement, and shipment of critical
minerals among those countries.
(c) Report Required.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on the strategy
required by subsection (a).
(2) Elements.--The report required in paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) a description of the extent of the engagement
of the United States International Development Finance
Corporation with the governments of the other countries
of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to promote
shared investment and development of critical minerals;
and
(B) a description of the work of the United States
Trade Representative to engage with the government of
those countries to decrease trade barriers for the
development, production, refinement, and transportation
of critical minerals.
(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Foreign
Relations, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of
the House of Representatives.
SEC. 6. PRIORITIZATION OF SUPPORT BY UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATION.
The United States International Development Finance Corporation
shall prioritize providing support under title II of the Better
Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018 (22
U.S.C. 9621 et seq.) for development projects, production technologies,
and refining facilities for critical minerals that the Corporation
determines will--
(1) contribute to the development of a more reliable and
secure supply chain of critical minerals;
(2) reduce reliance on the People's Republic of China for
critical minerals; and
(3) facilitate cooperation with the governments of the
other countries in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in a
concerted effort to make significant strategic investments in
development projects, production technologies, and refining
facilities for critical minerals.
SEC. 7. INITIATION OF MULTILATERAL DISCUSSIONS BY UNITED STATES TRADE
REPRESENTATIVE.
The United States Trade Representative shall initiate multilateral
discussions with the governments of the other countries in the
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue for the purpose of--
(1) developing a more reliable and secure supply chain of
critical minerals;
(2) reducing reliance on the People's Republic of China for
critical minerals; and
(3) facilitating cooperation with those governments in a
concerted effort to make significant strategic investments in
development projects, production technologies, and refining
facilities for critical minerals.
SEC. 8. DEFINITION OF CRITICAL MINERAL.
In this Act, the term ``critical mineral'' has the meaning given
that term in section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (division Z of
Public Law 116-260; 30 U.S.C. 1606(a)).
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