GAO Report Shows Gaps in Data on Foreign Ownership of Critical Mineral Mines on Federal Lands

The Government Accountability Office released a report indicating that information on foreign ownership of critical-mineral mines on federal lands is sparse. The analysis, covering 632 approved hard-rock mining plans as of February 2026, examined 43 claimants and operators linked to such mines.

GAO was able to determine ownership for 32 of the 43 entities and identified 14 subsidiaries of foreign companies. None of those subsidiaries were owned directly by Chinese firms, although in at least two instances Chinese entities held a financial interest in the foreign parent companies.

Under the 1872 Mining Law, claimants must be U.S. citizens or U.S.-incorporated entities, a requirement that can be satisfied through U.S. subsidiaries of foreign firms. The law does not obligate the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service to collect data on foreign parent companies, nor does it require claimants to disclose such ownership. Consequently, the full extent of foreign investment in mining on federal lands remains unclear.

Other federal mechanisms can surface foreign investment concerns. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, chaired by the Department of the Treasury, reviews foreign stakes in mining projects for national-security implications. GAO notes that this and related authorities provide limited insight into the ownership structures of mines operating under the 1872 Mining Law.

The report underscores a transparency gap that could affect the United States' ability to assess supply-chain vulnerabilities for minerals such as lithium, copper, and zinc - materials essential to advanced technologies and national security. GAO recommends that agencies consider statutory or regulatory changes to capture foreign-ownership data, though no specific legislative action is cited in the current findings.