'Doing something about it': Rep. Palmer says U.S. supply chain too dependent on China
In an one-on-one interview with ABC 33/40, Alabama Congressman Gary Palmer raised concerns about the United States’ dependence on China for critical minerals and rare earth element refining, calling it a “critical moment” for national and economic security.
Palmer highlighted that out of the nine major rare earth refineries worldwide, eight are located in China and one in Malaysia, leaving the Western Hemisphere without a single major facility. “If I said we didn’t have one in the United States, that’d be problematic enough, but there’s not one in the Western Hemisphere,” he stated.
He emphasized the importance of rare earth elements in modern manufacturing, noting their essential role in products ranging from smartphones to fighter jets. “You can’t make your phone, your washing machine, your car, or an F-35 fighter without them,” Palmer said.
According to Palmer, the U.S. currently exports 86% of mined critical materials to China for processing—something he called “insane.”
Palmer, who now chairs a House subcommittee focused on supply chain security, said the issue is already a top priority for both the Trump administration and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He underscored the urgency of building domestic capacity: “We’ve got a window of opportunity here to secure the supply chain.”
The congressman also stressed that this is not just an American issue. He reported meeting with diplomats from Europe, Asia, and Latin America, all expressing similar concerns. “The competition’s not between the U.S. and Canada or Europe,” he said. “It’s between the West and China.”
Palmer warned the dependency extends beyond minerals, noting that 80% of pharmaceutical ingredients also originate from China or from India, which itself relies heavily on Chinese supplies.
“We’ve finally woken up to this threat,” Palmer said, “and we’re doing something about it.”
You can watch the full interview with Palmer below.