US Senate Lifts Mining Ban in Win for Chile Billionaire Clan (1)

The US Senate voted to overturn a mining ban in a wilderness area of Minnesota, dealing a win to Chile’s wealthiest family and the Trump administration’s critical mineral push.

The Senate voted 50-49 to repeal a 2023 federal order that prohibited mining in an area spanning more than 200,000 acres known as Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The proposal, passed by the House in January, now heads to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.

The move to lift the ban, while drawing criticism from environmentalists, potentially allows Chile’s Antofagasta Plc to finally move ahead with a copper-nickel ...