Why It Matters

Glencore Ltd. filed its third-quarter 2026 in-house lobbying disclosure covering critical minerals, mining and metals supply chains, international energy markets, circular economy and recycling, permitting reform, environmental regulatory issues, investment in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and international trade of critical minerals and metals. The filing puts the global mining and commodities company on record across federal debates over how the U.S. secures, processes, and trades raw materials, such as cobalt, lithium, and copper, that underpin energy and defense supply chains. ​

By the Numbers

The in-house third-quarter 2026 report lists $400,000 in lobbying expenditures. That figure is double the $200,000 Glencore reported in-house in the third quarter of 2024 and nearly double the $210,000 reported in the third quarter of 2025.

Across all four registrants, Glencore's combined third-quarter 2026 spend totals $710,000, unchanged from the second quarter of 2026 and up $340,000 from the third quarter of 2025.

The four registrants and their third-quarter 2026 filings:

  • Glencore Ltd. (in-house): $400,000. Lobbyist: Seth Levey, the company's head of U.S. government relations and corporate affairs.
  • Michael Best Strategies LLC: $150,000. Lobbyists: Allison Blankenship, Meg Sheline, Alex Angelson, Ninio Fetalvo, Jason Yaworske, Brittan Specht, and Preston Hill.
  • BGR Government Affairs LLC: $80,000. Lobbyists: Maya Seiden, Keaghan Ames, Loren Monroe, Dan Greenwood, Les Munson III, and Scott Eisner.
  • Holland & Knight LLP: $80,000. Lobbyists: Jim Noe, Kat Speece, and Taite McDonald.

Compared with the third quarter of 2025, Glencore added Michael Best Strategies LLC and Holland & Knight LLP and dropped McLarty Inbound LLC, which filed a termination in the first quarter of 2026. Holland & Knight added Kat Speece to its roster this quarter; the firm listed two lobbyists in the second quarter of 2026.

Broader Context

Glencore's filing names no specific legislation; the following developments are background on the issues it lists, not bills the company disclosed lobbying on. In March 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to accelerate domestic mineral production, including by prioritizing mineral projects for federal permitting and identifying projects for expedited review. On Sept. 30, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, a comprehensive permitting-reform proposal that includes expanded federal authorities related to hardrock mining and mineral development, was introduced in the Senate, according to a Bipartisan Policy Center explainer.

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H.R. 1501, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025, was introduced by Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN) and referred to committee; Congress.gov lists two cosponsors and a latest House action dated June 9. H.R. 3059, the Streamlining Critical Mineral Permitting Act, introduced by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), would provide an interim permit under the Solid Waste Disposal Act for certain critical-energy-resource facilities; the bill was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee with no further action as of the filing's signed date.

In January 2026, the President proclaimed imports of processed critical minerals following a Commerce Department investigation, addressing possible import measures and directing further negotiations. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) introduced S. 429, the STRATEGIC Minerals Act, to authorize negotiations of critical-minerals and rare-earth-element trade agreements and related tariff treatment; the bill listed three cosponsors with no companion House bill or later action as of the filing date.

H.R. 2145, the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2025, introduced by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), was referred to House Energy and Commerce; by May 21, the committee had held a meeting on the bill, with Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) listed among its cosponsors.

A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report dated January 2026 concludes that U.S. reliance on imports and concentration in some countries can create critical-mineral supply-chain risks, and it describes Congress as weighing the effectiveness and direction of federal policy. The U.S. State Department said in February 2026 that the United States and partner governments were working to diversify critical-mineral supply chains through mining, processing, recycling, and trade cooperation, citing more than $30 billion in government support and financing opportunities over the preceding six months.

The Bottom Line

Glencore's in-house filing amount rose to $400,000 in the third quarter of 2026, up from $210,000 in the third quarter of 2025 and $200,000 in third quarter of 2024, while its outside roster added Michael Best Strategies LLC and Holland & Knight LLP and dropped McLarty Inbound LLC. The Senate permitting bill, introduced Sept. 30, and the House recycling bill that had a committee meeting in May 2026 both remain pending.

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