The U.S. Defense Department is quietly trying to build a strategic cobalt reserve. In a tender issued this summer, the Pentagon and the Defense Logistics Agency sought offers to supply 7,480 tonnes of cobalt over five years, with bids open to vetted miners such as Vale, Sumitomo and Glencore investing.com. The contract could be worth up to $500 million, reflecting concerns that China’s new export restrictions on key minerals could imperil U.S. defense and energy supply chains investing.com. Cobalt is essential for lithium‑ion batteries and the superalloys used in jet engines and gas turbines.
Washington is invoking emergency powers to curb reliance on Chinese materials and bolster domestic stockpiles. Any approved cobalt would be stored in government repositories to ensure military readiness in the event of supply disruptions. The initiative follows similar moves to stockpile rare earths and battery‑grade graphite. As geopolitical tensions rise, expect more such stockpiling efforts to protect critical industries
