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Walz blocks Minnesota copper and nickel mining, defying Trump and drawing fire over China supply chain risk

8/20/2026

The race to secure domestic critical mineral supply has hit a state-level obstacle in the American Midwest.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order Tuesday blocking mining permits and leases near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeast Minnesota, directly contradicting federal legislation President Donald Trump signed in April.

That April law reversed a Biden administration order that had blocked new mining leases near the Boundary Waters for twenty years.

Walz's counter-move targets the Duluth Complex in northeastern Minnesota, identified as the largest known untapped source of nickel and copper in North America.

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