Gracelin Baskaran

Director, Critical Minerals Security Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Title: Critical Minerals and U.S. National Security: Securing Supply Chains for Strategic Industries

Abstract: Ensuring the security of mineral supply chains essential for advanced technologies in key industries is crucial for national security, economic competitiveness and energy resilience. However, despite efforts from governments and businesses, significant weaknesses remain. Policymakers must now take on the challenge of securing critical materials—ranging from lithium and graphite for cutting-edge batteries to tungsten and rare earth elements for next-generation defense systems. To address this, the United States must refine its strategy and execution by prioritizing domestic resource development, enhancing processing and recycling technologies, strengthening international partnerships, and promoting sustainable practices.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Gracelin Baskaran is the director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a bye-fellow in economics at the University of Cambridge. She is a mining economist, and her primary expertise is in critical minerals and trade. She began her career in South Africa’s platinum belt. She later spent five years at the World Bank in South Africa, where she coauthored the book Africa’s Resource Future: Harnessing Natural Resources for Economic Transformation during the Low-Carbon Transition. She was a Fulbright Scholar and has also held positions at the University of Cambridge, University of London, and University of Cape Town. She has discussed minerals policy on CNN, BBC, ABC, NBC, Fox News, and NPR, and has been cited as an expert in The Economist, Financial Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Foreign Policy, and the U.S. International Trade Commission, among others. She has also published over 150 op-eds and columns, policy reports, and white papers and published research in the Mineral Economics journal.  She recently published the book, Critical Minerals and the Future of the United States Economy (Bloomsbury, 2025). She has testified before the U.S. Congress and is a regular speaker at leading international mining and energy conferences, universities, and policymaker forums. Dr. Baskaran holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge.