by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News August 20, 2025
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday issued a temporary restraining order to prevent a land transfer needed in order for what will be one of the country’s largest copper mines to open in Arizona.
President Donald Trump slammed the 9th Circuit’s decision to temporarily block a land transfer needed by mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that the setback to Arizona’s Resolution Copper mine would impact thousands of jobs at a time when the world’s largest economy “quite simply, needs Copper — AND NOW!”
Trump’s comments came shortly after he met the chief executives of Rio Tinto and BHP at the White House, alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
“It is so sad that Radical Left Activists can do this, and affect the lives of so many people. Those that fought it are Anti-American, and representing other Copper competitive Countries,” Trump wrote.
The Arizona copper project, known as Resolution Copper, is a proposed underground mine roughly 60 miles east of Phoenix, close to the town of Superior. The joint venture is 55% owned by Rio Tinto and 45% by BHP.
Resolution Copper says the ore deposit represents “one of the most significant untapped copper deposits today” and estimates the potential for the project to add $1 billion a year to Arizona’s economy.
A highly conductive metal, copper is a critical component to virtually everything in the modern economy, from solar panels and wind turbines to defense applications and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Rio Tinto and BHP, two of the world’s largest mining firms, have been trying to develop the Arizona copper project together for roughly two decades, but the procedures have been beset by legal issues.
The 9th Circuit is considering challenges that have been brought by opponents including the San Carlos Apache Tribe, which reportedly is seeking to block the project over religious, cultural and environmental reasons.
“This proposed mine is a rip-off, will destroy a sacred area, decimates our environment, threatens our water rights, and is bad for America,” Terry Rambler, chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, said in a Facebook post.
The U.S. produces only about 5% of the world’s copper, according to Dutch bank ING and has seen a 20% decline in output over the last decade.
More than half of global copper reserves are said to be located in just five countries — Chile, Australia, Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Russia.
Trump slams 9th Circuit’s order delaying opening of new copper mine in Arizona added by Editor Two on
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