Office of Critical Minerals and Metals

The Office of Critical Minerals and Metals (OCMM) undertakes a broad range of trade policy, trade promotion, and trade facilitation activities geared to increasing the competitiveness of the U.S. critical minerals and metals. OCMM undertakes industry analysis, participates in trade policy development and trade negotiations, conducts extensive trade promotion programs abroad, and evaluates the impact of domestic and international regulatory policies on the U.S. critical minerals and metals industries. OCMM works with other Department of Commerce units and other U.S. agencies to address international market access challenges encountered by U.S. industry. A key to the successful efforts of OCMM and other I&A offices is our strong working relationships with industry trade associations and individual companies within the building products, chemicals, and metals industries. Please contact us regarding any competitiveness issues your company or trade association may have.

What We Do:

  • Serve as ITA lead for one public-private export expansion partnership under the Market Development Cooperator Program with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries to facilitate trade in recycled materials.
  • Serve as ITA lead for two Industry Trade Advisory Committees to ensure U.S. industry’s voice is included in trade policy development for the critical minerals and metals industries.
  • Represent ITA in numerous U.S. government interagency working groups geared to advancing the competitiveness of OCMM industries.
  • Develop and recommend U.S. policy positions for multilateral and bilateral discussions related to the U.S. critical minerals and metals industries.
  • Provide information, trade data, and industry analysis to the U.S. business community, policymakers, and trade negotiators.

Advisory Committees:

OCMM regularly seeks the input of Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITAC) members to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. industries. OCMM currently serves as ITA lead for two ITACs:

  • Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Critical Minerals and Nonferrous Metals (ITAC 5)
  • Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Steel (ITAC 11)

 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS UNDER SECTION 1502(d)(3)(C) OF THE DODD-FRANK ACT:

WORLD-WIDE CONFLICT MINERAL PROCESSING FACILITIES

  • As required by section 1502(d)(3)(C) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) provides Congress with annual listings of all known conflict mineral processing facilities worldwide.
  • OCMM in the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has been responsible for the preparation of this report for Congress.  The 2023 report is at:
  • Executive Summary 

  • 2023 Conflict Minerals Processing Facilities Report