By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-09-01 22:11:36 | Updated at 2026-09-04 00:47:23
2 days ago
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) visited Camden Copper in Kershaw County, S.C., in February 2026. Rep. Ralph Norman
The Department of War
announceda 30-month investment of a $37.2 million contract with Principal Mineral Company of Texas on Aug. 31 to produce a domestic supply of specialized copper foil needed for national security.
The funding brings the Pentagon’s total investment in Camden Copper to $74.9 million and has helped to keep the domestic supply chain for critical copper foil alive.
Principal Mineral acquired and relaunched Camden Copper in South Carolina in April 2025.
“This American-made, American-owned partnership delivers a clear win for both our national and economic security,” said Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy Michael Cadenazzi.
Camden Copper is the only producer of electrodeposited copper foil in North America.
The process produces a thin, highly pure layer of copper that can be used in printed circuit boards, lithium-ion batteries, electromagnetic shielding, and specialized defense and radio-frequency systems.
The Pentagon’s initiative, funded through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, will secure a vital domestic supply chain for the copper foil, officials said.
“By anchoring the production of critical copper foil with Principal Mineral and Camden Copper, we secure a vital defense supply chain and reinvest in the South Carolina manufacturing community.”
The copper foil project will be based at the former Denkai America Inc. manufacturing facility in Camden, South Carolina. Japanese-owned Nippon Denkai produced electrodeposited copper foil at the facility from 2022 until the company filed for bankruptcy in 2024. The facility was sold to Camden Copper last year.
The new business name “honors the people and community that have produced products critical to the defense industrial base for over 30 years,” Principal Mineral said in a 2025 statement.
The new owners planned to modernize and expand domestic copper foil production to meet the Pentagon’s needs, according to Principal Mineral.
Camden Copper kept local employees working at the plant, which employs about 50 people.
The company produces foil entirely from U.S.-sourced materials, according to its website.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) (center R) toured the Camden Copper facility in Kershaw County, S.C., in February 2026. Rep. Ralph Norman
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) visited the plant in February and said the plant expects to hire another 15 employees.
“They’re boosting our local economy and strengthening critical defense and electronics supply chains,” Norman said in a social media post at the time.
