Minerals make the Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is perennially home to some of the most cutting-edge technologies in the auto industry. The 2015 “aluminum” Ford F-150 — a staggering 700 lbs. lighter than last year’s model —is one of many examples of American ingenuity and innovation revealed at this year’s show.

Automakers are increasingly using aluminum, along with countless other minerals and metals, to improve vehicle efficiency, lower emissions and implement innovative technology like “smart” LCD dashboard displays. While high-tech applications for these minerals and metals are endless, supplies are not.

The U.S. is home to the world’s most diverse mineral reserve base valued at more than $6.2 trillion; however, because of a slow, duplicative permitting process, our manufacturers remain 100 percent import-reliant on foreign sources for 18 key mineral resources and at least 50 percent import-dependent for another 24.

Just this week, President Obama traveled to North Carolina to announce a new plan to revive America’s manufacturing sector by creating a “manufacturing hub” comprised of business and educational programs to spur the next generation of electronics.

If we hope to see new technologies flourish and job creation increase, leaders must work to revise the repetitive minerals mining permitting process, creating new markets and opportunities for states to leverage their abundant resources.

From Detroit to Silicon Valley and Juneau to Mesa, the United States has the ability to provide the building blocks to global innovation. Let’s get moving.