Supply Chain Transparency
Understanding how the future energy system will impact the global supply chain and associated effects on markets, communities and the environment
Understanding how the future energy system will impact the global supply chain and associated effects on markets, communities and the environment
The global supply chain continues to grow at an incredible rate, but within that growth, a lack of transparency undermines many industries and consumers as they struggle to understand the effects of the supply chain on the markets, communities and the environment.
Payne Supply Chain Transparency works with the Critical Materials Institute, the U.S. government, and policy other stakeholders to better understand the challenges and opportunities related to growing critical mineral demand.
Low-carbon scenarios often have—implicitly or explicitly—high and diverse material needs, depending on what assumptions are made about the nature of future energy systems. As certain technologies become more prominent, it becomes easier to identify what materials will be needed in the near term.
It is important to acknowledge the inherent tensions that exist between building a sustainable future and not managing or understanding the sources and materials with which it is built.
For more information about the Supply Chain Transparency Initiative at the Payne Institute for Public Policy, please contact our Deputy Director, Gregory Clough, at gclough@mines.edu.
NEWS
Pentagon’s AI metals program goes private in bid to boost Western supply deals 5/2/2025
Pentagon’s AI metals program goes private in bid to boost Western supply deals
Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributed to this article about how a U.S. government-created artificial intelligence program that aims to predict the supply and price of critical minerals has been transferred to the control of a non-profit organization that is helping miners and manufacturers strike supply deals. May 2, 2025.
Trump’s Brazen Push to Mine the Ocean Floor 4/28/2025
Trump’s Brazen Push to Mine the Ocean Floor
Payne Institute Fellow Alex Gilbert contributed to this article about how the U.S. leader could pave the way for a gold rush in international waters. U.S. President Donald Trump has officially jump-started U.S. efforts to mine the seafloor, pitching the United States into the center of a contentious debate that has sparked fears of a race to the bottom in the world’s last untouched frontier. April 28, 2025.
Can China hold the world to ransom over rare earths? 4/26/2025
Can China hold the world to ransom over rare earths?
Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributed to this article about how China reportedly instructed South Korean companies to stop exporting defense-related products to the United States if they contained rare earth products from China. April 26, 2025.
Analysis on ASM Role in Indonesian Nickel Production 4/24/2025
Analysis on ASM Role in Indonesian Nickel Production
Payne Institute Student Researcher Matt Lee, Critical Minerals Program Manager Clarkson Kamurai, and Energy Finance Lab Program Director Brad Handler write about how Indonesia now dominates the global supply of nickel, an essential raw material for lithium-ion batteries and stainless steel. April 24, 2025.
Illicit mineral supply chains fuel the DRC’s M23 insurgency 4/23/2025
Illicit mineral supply chains fuel the DRC’s M23 insurgency
Payne Institute Critical Minerals Program Manager Clarkson Kamurai, Energy Finance Lab Program Director Brad Handler, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how the insurgency by M23 in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the latest example of the damage that can be wrought by the illicit trade of mined materials. April 23, 2025.
Bad News for China: Rare Earth Elements Aren’t That Rare 4/23/2025
Bad News for China: Rare Earth Elements Aren’t That Rare
Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributes to this article about how China is limiting US access to critical minerals in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but the move isn’t as devastating as Beijing wants it to be. April 23, 2025.
Trump’s Tariffs Just Killed the Last Hope of a U.S. Mining Boom 4/7/2025
Payne institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributed to this article about how mining companies have asked for federal support — but the current strategy isn’t what most of them had in mind. April 7, 2025.
Future-Proofing U.S. Technology: Strategic Priorities Amid Chinese Tech Advancement 4/6/2025
Future-Proofing U.S. Technology: Strategic Priorities Amid Chinese Tech Advancement
Payne Institute Fellow Jahara “Franky” Matisek, Director Morgan Bazilian, and others write about how the technological rivalry between the United States and China transcends traditional geopolitical competition. It represents a systemic challenge that cuts across economic, security, and diplomacy domains. The reports presented here examine critical technological domains where targeted policy action is needed to maintain U.S. strategic advantage. April 6, 2025.
Commodity prices drop in response to tariffs 4/4/2025
Commodity prices drop in response to tariffs
Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange is featured on this podcast discussing the prices of commodities like crude oil, copper and soybeans have dropped in response to President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements, indicating pessimism about where the global economy may be headed. Even though many commodities, like oil, were exempt from tariffs, the broader economic effects of tariffs are likely to take a toll if they continue. April 4, 2025.
The Functioning and Trade of Minerals and Metals on Exchanges vs. Chemical Markets 4/2/2025
The Functioning and Trade of Minerals and Metals on Exchanges vs. Chemical Markets
Payne Institute student researcher Sravan Lavudya, Grad Student, Mineral and Energy Economics, writes about how the future outlook for the metal and mineral market is positive, with continued growth expected, though challenges such as geopolitical risks and supply chain disruptions remain. April 2, 2025.
Read All News