US officials propose less paperwork for mineral royalty cuts

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming officials say they support reducing paperwork for miners seeking lower U.S. government royalty rates.

A U.S. Bureau of Land Management proposal published Friday would make it easier for companies to request lower rates charged for the right to extract certain government-owned minerals including trona and phosphate.

Trona royalties range from 3% to 8%. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says a 2% rate would help the U.S. industry compete globally.

Nearly all trona mined in the U.S. comes from Wyoming. Plants near the mines process trona into soda ash, a critical ingredient in manufacturing products including glass and detergents.

The U.S. trona industry has suffered amid competition from synthetic Chinese soda ash. Soda ash is Wyoming's top international export but the U.S. global market share has shrunk by one-third since 1998.