WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-01) introduced H.R. 8277, legislation to designate copper as an applicable critical mineral and include ore extraction costs under the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit.

Copper is essential to the economic strength and national security of the United States. It is a foundational material for electric infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, defense technologies, and modern industrial production. Arizona is the leading copper-producing state in the nation, accounting for roughly 70 percent of domestic output.

H.R. 8277 would update the tax code to recognize that reality. The bill adds copper to the list of applicable critical minerals under Section 45X and allows ore extraction costs to count under the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit when that ore is refined into a qualifying critical mineral. The legislation is designed to strengthen domestic supply chains, support American mining, and help U.S. producers compete against foreign operations that often operate under weaker labor and environmental standards.

“Copper is not optional in a modern economy,” said Rep. Schweikert. “It is essential to our industrial base, our energy systems, and our national security. If Washington is serious about domestic production and serious about supply-chain resilience, then copper needs to be treated like the strategic mineral it is. Arizona miners should not be forced to compete against foreign operations with looser labor rules, weaker environmental standards, and a tax code here at home that still treats copper like an afterthought.”

The bill also includes guardrails to prevent double counting of costs and limits eligibility for foreign ore, except in narrow cases where the ore is not extracted in the United States in commercial quantities and is not sourced from a foreign country of concern.

Schweikert’s legislation reflects a broader push to align federal policy with the materials America actually depends on. As demand for copper continues to grow across energy, technology, and defense sectors, the United States cannot afford to leave a resource this important outside its critical-minerals framework.

More information on the bill can be found here.