Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., told Newsmax on Thursday that the U.S. needs to stop buying Russian palladium.

Daines last month co-authored proposed legislation to protect local jobs and target minerals such as platinum, palladium, and copper. The bill, introduced by Daines, Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., and Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., would ban the import of critical minerals from Russia, according to a report.

“It’s a critical, critical material that goes into catalytic converters for the automobile industry, keeps our keeps our environment cleaner,” Daines said of palladium on “National Report.” “And the issue is the Russians are dumping their palladium at way below market prices, forcing mining operations like in Montana, where we mine palladium to have to lay off 700 miners because of this.”

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.