Part 4/9:
However, Zing points out a critical limitation: $12 billion in critical materials, given the scale of a $25 trillion economy, is insufficient for long-term independence. It might sustain the U.S. supply needs for a mere one to five months, depending on the specific metal or mineral.
Furthermore, the initiative focuses primarily on acquiring processed materials and storing them as a safeguard, but it does little to develop the foundational infrastructure needed for domestic refining and processing. This distinction is crucial because the U.S. currently lacks dedicated facilities to extract high-purity rare earth elements in the necessary quantities.