Copper Is Now “Critical.” What Happens Next Isn’t Pretty

From Oak Flat to the deep sea, the U.S. is reshaping extraction in ways most people won’t see coming.

On November 7, the U.S. Geological Survey published its updated Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals in the Federal Register, formally adding copper to a category of materials considered essential for national security, economic resilience, and industrial capacity. Under normal circumstances, the inclusion of copper would be read primarily as a technocr…