Seaver T. Wang

1 month ago | realcleardefense.com | Alex Gilbert |Seaver T. Wang |Morgan D. Bazilian

A “Sputnik Moment” in Deep Sea Mining China’s deep-sea mining deal with the Cook Islands raises the stakes in critical mineral competition, with the United States at risk of falling behind. Read Full Article »

Jan 15, 2025 | breakthroughjournal.org | Seaver T. Wang |Peter Cook

By Seaver Wang and Peter CookThe year 2032 is now the earliest date by which a U.S. president might next secure re-election to a consecutive second term of office. This rubber-banding poses challenges for efforts to craft durable strategic policies, particularly for complex industries like critical minerals and metals. On one hand, critical minerals security has strong enough bipartisan support to enable some continuity throughout—and beyond—the incoming Trump administration.

Jan 14, 2025 | thebreakthrough.org | Peter Cook |Seaver T. Wang

Among the many recent and past critical minerals policy proposals introduced over the past couple years, which might a new Congress prioritize? China’s recent export restrictions on germanium, gallium, and antimony to the U.S. pose a clear reminder of domestic critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities. Yet, efforts to strengthen those supply chains will remain incoherent if policymakers keep pursuing only sporadic, disconnected initiatives.

Dec 5, 2024 | breakthroughjournal.org | Seaver T. Wang |Peter Cook |Lauren Teixeira |late October

By Seaver Wang, Peter Cook, and Lauren TeixeiraFollowing the Biden administration’s recent expansion of restrictions on the sale of advanced semiconductor chip and manufacturing technologies to China, Chinese policymakers have responded rapidly by restricting exports of the critical minerals germanium, gallium, and antimony to the United States. Other new provisions, whose specifics remain unclear at the time of writing, may target additional materials like tungsten and graphite.

Nov 22, 2024 | breakthroughjournal.org | Seaver T. Wang

By Seaver WangPolitical pundits and cartoonists alike have long joked that contrary to voters’ implicit expectations, policymakers cannot simply turn a dial labeled “the economy”. Similarly, the Oval Office contains no dial that controls “national carbon emissions”. As Trump’s new policies mix with and in many cases supplant Biden-era policies, the next four years are uncertain enough that it’s hard to say what the trend in near-term US emissions will be.