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What changed: The story was updated to include historical technical support levels from 1980, SILJ ETF performance relative to futures, and an assessment of liquidity versus expense ratios.

CommoditiesMediumUpdated•Originally published 6 April 2026•Updated 7 April 2026•

1 min read

U.S. Designates Silver as a Critical Mineral to Bolster National Security

Key Facts

1The U.S. government officially designated silver as a critical mineral in 2025.

2A January 2026 Presidential Proclamation invoked national security law to address U.S. reliance on silver imports.

The U.S. government has officially designated silver as a critical mineral to bolster national security and secure domestic supply chains. This strategic move, following a January 2026 Presidential Proclamation, aims to streamline mining permits for essential industrial and defense applications. Market analysts have identified a key technical support level for silver dating back to the 1980 high, providing a strong foundation for current price action. In the investment space, the SILJ ETF is notably outperforming silver futures during recent price corrections. While SILJ exhibits high liquidity and strong momentum, investors are weighing these benefits against its relatively high expense ratios. Overall, the combination of federal policy support and robust technical indicators continues to strengthen the bullish outlook for silver (XAG/USD).

Sources:

goldsilver.com

seekingalpha.com