The global competition to secure critical minerals has escalated significantly after China expanded export controls on rare earth materials and related technologies, citing national security concerns. This move underscores China's dominant position in supplying essential inputs for the global economy, compelling developed nations to urgently protect their access to these strategic resources. For investors, this geopolitical tension indicates that rare earths and critical minerals represent an emerging area of substantial opportunity.
In response to these supply chain vulnerabilities, international alliances are forming to reduce reliance on rival nations. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently signed a critical minerals framework after five months of negotiations, aiming to accelerate the development of robust allied mineral supply chains. The G7 nations have also announced a critical minerals production alliance, with Canada recently announcing the first round of investments in this strategic sector.
The United States has adopted an assertive approach to securing critical minerals access through initiatives like its recently announced public-private partnership with MP Materials Corp., a company that produces and markets rare-earth specialty materials. Through this strategic investment, the U.S. government, via the Department of Defense, will hold a 15% ownership stake in the company. Similar critical minerals strategies have been passed or proposed by the EU and Japan, often involving subsidies, domestic mining incentives, and stockpiling to reduce dependence on China for rare earths, graphite, manganese, and other strategic inputs.
While energy development and storage represent prominent use cases for critical minerals, governments are equally concerned with securing supply chains for defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing applications. Rare earths such as neodymium, dysprosium, and praseodymium are essential for jet engines, missiles, radar systems, and precision optics, extending their importance beyond electric vehicle motors. This broad industrial and military significance has elevated critical minerals to a matter of national security for many nations.
For investors seeking exposure to this growing sector, the Sprott Energy Transition Materials ETF offers diversified exposure to companies involved with uranium, lithium, copper, rare earths, and other critical materials. Rather than focusing on single commodities or companies, SETM provides broad market exposure while reducing single-commodity risk. The ETF seeks to correspond generally to the total return performance of the Nasdaq Sprott Critical Materials Index, which tracks global securities in the critical materials industry.
Supply constraints for critical minerals may develop due to long lead times for new mines and refineries or geopolitical interventions, potentially creating upward price pressure that could benefit companies involved in upstream activities. SETM offers investors pure-play diversified equity exposure to upstream miners, explorers, developers, and refiners of materials deemed critical for the energy transition, including uranium, copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, manganese, rare earths, and silver.
