The USGS yesterday released its draft revised critical minerals list, adding copper, silver, potash, silicon, rhenium and lead and removing arsenic and tellurium. The list includes 54 minerals that the Department of Interior deemed critical to the US economy and national security. The list is updated every three years under the Energy Act of 2020. Today's publication in the Federal Register begins a 30-day comment period after which the final list will be published.

Canada has signed a critical minerals partnership with Germany that encourages the joint public financing of natural resources projects as Canada hopes to boost development and exports to Europe. The two countries are also working to closely co-operate in the energy sector, including on liquefied natural gas and hydrogen energy. Nothing in the document is legally binding or binds Canada financially; it is designed to promote and encourage new cooperative efforts.

And Amazon and nuclear startup X-energy on Monday announced a strategic partnership with South Korean nuclear and industrial companies to deploy more than 5 gigawatts of next-generation small modular reactor technology across the United States by 2039. The companies say the move builds on a U.S.–South Korea trade pact signed earlier this year. In making the announcement, Amazon acknowledged that data centers supporting U.S. AI leadership have accelerating power needs and it is working on solutions to meet those needs.

That's your mining minute for this morning, highlighting some of the mining-related matters that are on our minds here in Washington and beyond. Follow us on the National Mining Association's channels, as well as on Minerals Make Life and Count on Coal, for more on the latest news and policies impacting mining.