Allies Gather in Washington to Push New Critical Minerals Pact

Senior ministers from around 20 countries, including the United States, Britain, the European Union, Japan and Australia, will meet in Washington this week to explore a coordinated alliance on critical minerals, as governments move to reduce reliance on China for key raw materials.

The talks, convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are expected to focus on building alternative supply chains for rare earths and other strategic minerals essential for defence, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

Participants will include the G7 nations alongside countries such as India, South Korea, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and potentially Argentina. It is the second high-level meeting on the issue in less than a month, underlining growing urgency among Western allies.

An aerial view of the MP Materials rare earth mining and processing facility in Mountain Pass, California.

Australia signalled its own intentions on Friday, announcing plans to create a A$1.2bn (£610m) national stockpile of minerals it views as vulnerable to supply disruptions from China. Beijing restricted exports of some rare earths last April amid escalating trade tensions with the Trump administration.

One key issue likely to dominate discussions is whether Washington should guarantee minimum prices for critical minerals to encourage investment. Reports earlier this week suggesting the US had ruled out such guarantees triggered a sell-off in Australian mining stocks, as Canberra positions itself as a non-China supplier of minerals such as antimony and gallium.

Despite the uncertainty, Australia’s resources minister, Madeleine King, said the absence of US price guarantees would not derail the country’s strategy. “That won’t stop Australia from pursuing our critical minerals reserve programme,” she said.

Japan has already taken a similar approach, building strategic reserves over several years to protect against potential supply cut-offs linked to geopolitical disputes.

The US State Department said ahead of the meeting that strengthening international cooperation on critical minerals was essential for economic resilience, national security and technological leadership.

European officials said a joint declaration could follow if talks make sufficient progress, marking a shift toward closer coordination with Washington after a period of strained relations driven by trade disputes under former president Donald Trump.

A UK minister is expected to attend. The Foreign Office said Britain was working with partners to diversify mineral supplies, describing the effort as central to both economic growth and national security.

The EU is also expected to use the talks to press the US to withdraw new global tariffs on steel derivatives, which would impose levies based on steel content in a wide range of products, from bicycles and aluminium doors to offshore wind turbines.

Brussels argues that a proposed second wave of tariffs — potentially covering hundreds of products — would violate a trade agreement reached last summer. EU officials said continued tariff threats were undermining trust between allies.

The renewed diplomatic push comes after Washington and Beijing agreed last October to a 12-month trade truce, following concerns that China could restrict rare earth exports during their escalating tariff dispute.

Critical minerals are vital to modern manufacturing, used in products ranging from smartphones and electric vehicles to military hardware and renewable energy infrastructure.

Europe remains heavily dependent on China for permanent magnets, a crucial rare-earth-based component. EU officials estimate the bloc uses around 20,000 tonnes annually, with up to 18,000 tonnes sourced from China and only about 1,000 tonnes produced domestically.