It is no secret that China has weaponized control of the world’s mineral supply chains. We’ve already seen this when both the Biden and Trump administrations challenged China’s unfair trade practices. Beijing has responded by simply restricting or banning the export of minerals needed for America’s economy and defense industrial base.

China’s ever-growing chokehold on mineral supply chains — and U.S. reliance on imports — has been America’s Achilles’ heel for more than a decade. According to recent government analysis, the U.S. is import-reliant for 40 critical minerals, with China the leading producer of 30.

The tentacles of China’s state-backed mineral empire stretch across the globe. Along with extraordinary control of global mineral production, China has also come to dominate the processing of minerals. And now, years of increasingly urgent warnings that China might use this control have become a grave reality. Chinese mineral extortion is no longer theoretical; it’s here, and it’s a crisis.

The obvious question is, can we do something about it? Not only is the answer a resounding “yes” but we already have the resources needed to turn the tide.

While working with trading partners is certainly part of the answer to boosting America’s mineral security, our domestic productive potential is the difference right beneath our feet.

America’s mineral weakness is more perception and self-imposed circumstance than reality. For most of the 20th century, it was the United States — not China or anyone else — that was the world’s mineral superpower.

In fact, our war-winning productive capacity during World War II — known as the arsenal of democracy — was underpinned by our vast mineral resources. On the verge of war, the U.S. along with the British Empire controlled 75% of the world’s mineral production — an enormous strategic advantage.

A recent study confirmed that America’s mineral resources remain vast, though shockingly underdeveloped. For example, the U.S. copper endowment is comparable to those of Canada and Australia combined. And despite currently having just one producing lithium mine, our endowment of lithium is more than twice that of Australia, which currently accounts for half of the world’s lithium production.

With new urgency to meet soaring mineral demand and secure our supply chains, hardly a month goes by without stunning news of major domestic mineral discoveries. Innovative technologies also promise access to new resources and the potential to turn yesterday’s mine wastes into tomorrow’s supply chains.

The resources are here to declaw China’s mineral weapon. What we have lacked is the urgency and follow-through to address our own policy negligence. Now, the Trump administration is attacking the problem head on.

Through a salvo of executive orders — including one directly focused on minerals — the administration has worked to slash permitting red tape, restore access to mineral-rich federal land, and expand the policy toolbox to level the playing field against predatory overseas trade practices. In a remarkably short amount of time, a robust, coherent, and coordinated mineral policy is coming into focus. American mining is a strategic industry. It has taken China to remind us that we can once again be a mining superpower.

Katie Sweeney is the executive vice president and chief operating officer for the National Mining Association.