Arizona surges to the top of mining jurisdictions worldwide!
Since 1997 the Fraser Institute has annually surveyed the global mining industry regarding the attractiveness and challenges of mining by jurisdiction. In surveying mining executives and consultants in 2020, they ranked 77 jurisdictions from across the globe on their geologic attractiveness (potential for minerals and metals), and government policies encouraging or deterring exploration and investment, among other parameters.
In 2020, Arizona jumped to 2nd of the 77 jurisdictions in the Investment Attractiveness Index; Arizona ranked 9th in Investment Attractiveness in 2019. Nevada ranked 1st and Saskatchewan and Western Australia ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively, in 2020; Alaska rounded out the top five jurisdictions.
According to Jairo Yunis, Fraser Institute policy analyst, “A sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive taxes makes a jurisdiction attractive to investors.” (Source: Fraser Institute News Release.)
In the field of Best Practices Mineral Potential Index, Arizona topped the 77 jurisdictions followed by Nevada, Turkey, Saskatchewan and Alaska. In evaluating ‘Availability of Labor/Skills’, Arizona ranked 12th, behind Utah (7th), Nevada (9th), and Idaho (11th) in the U.S.
In the category of Policy Perception Index, Arizona ranks 7th overall (up from 10th in 2019 and 19th in 2018); Idaho, Wyoming, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Nevada and Utah claim the top six spots. According to the Yunis and Aliakbari (2021) in rating Arizona, “Miners expressed decreased concern over uncertainty concerning disputed land claims (-15 points), socioeconomic agreements and community development conditions…”
Arizona currently produces ~65% of U.S. copper. The state's mineral future looks bright as the U.S. economy migrates to green energy, which relies heavily on copper produced domestically.
“The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal”.
Resource
Yunis, J. and Aliakbari, E, 2021, Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies, 2020. Frasier Institute, Vancouver, Canada.
