Platinum and palladium mines in Montana will lay off employees due to decreasing demand for the metals. Palladium is used in catalytic converters, and the price of the metal has significantly decreased in recent years. The dip in price is due to increased Palladium mining in Russia, and many companies in the United States are choosing to import the metal. Montana’s senators have stated that they will introduce a bill to ban companies from importing precious metals from Russia. The mines are the only platinum and palladium mines in the United States, and the layoffs will significantly reduce mining operations at two of the three mining sites.
See "Montana platinum and palladium mine to lay off workers, reduce mining operations", AP News, September 13, 2024