Oil industry expert Daniel Yergin argues that the US is desperate to have supply chains independent of China.
China’s domination of minerals – especially the copper needed for electrification, data centres, robots, cellphones and defence technology – is pushing the United States to ramp up its control of oil and minerals worldwide, argues Daniel Yergin, one of the world’s top experts in the economics of oil.
In this episode, Yergin explains how Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, Russia and other issues are connected to the business of oil and the competition to control Earth’s minerals. And while US President Donald Trump’s motives in Venezuela and Greenland are unclear, Yergin says one thing is certain: The US is desperate to achieve supply chain independence from China.
Published On 18 Jan 2026