Gary Stanley on the Strategic Role of the Department of Commerce in the American Critical Minerals Policy

May 13, 2024 — In a detailed interview with the Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) Co-Chairman Jack Lifton, Gary Stanley, the recent addition to the advisory board of First Phosphate Corp. (CSE: PHOS) and former Director of the Office of Critical Minerals and Metals at the U.S. Department of Commerce, shared his comprehensive experience and perspective on the critical minerals sector. Stanley, with a career spanning over four decades at the Department of Commerce, underscored the importance of the 2019 US Federal Critical Minerals Strategy, which he authored. This policy has significantly influenced the collaboration between the U.S. and Canada, establishing the USA-Canada Critical Minerals Working Group to bolster critical mineral projects between the two nations. Stanley elaborated on the distinctive role the Department of Commerce played in shaping the U.S. critical minerals policy, a role that is not traditionally recognized alongside departments like Defense or Energy. He explained, “(Department of) Commerce brought two things to the table that frankly, neither one of those other agencies could bring,” specifically pointing out the Department of Commerce’s mandates to work internationally and directly with industry on competitiveness and supply chain resiliency. This strategic positioning allowed the Department of Commerce to act as an “independent broker” in interagency agreements, contributing significantly to national and international critical minerals strategies. Stanley also highlighted the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted international collaborations and exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains, emphasizing the pandemic’s revelation that “supply chains are insanely vulnerable, they are not resilient and quite frankly they can be disrupted by so many external forces.” Looking forward, Stanley advocated for a holistic approach to building a resilient supply chain, encompassing mining, processing, end-product manufacturing, and recycling to address the complex challenges of global supply chain management and environmental impacts.