The Trump administration is circulating a draft framework agreement for cooperation on critical mineral sourcing and processing among countries invited to attend the State Department’s inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington next week.
Why it matters: The draft document — which would be nonbinding for signatories — represents the latest administration initiative to loosen China’s global chokehold on critical minerals and rare earths.
The State Department is asking dozens of countries invited to the Feb. 4 meeting to commit to signing the framework ahead of the gathering.
What’s in it: The language in the document mirrors that of critical mineral framework agreements that the administration struck with Australia and Japan last year. It provides the template to ensure the U.S. access to critical minerals through standards for government and private investment in areas including mining, processing and recycling to price guarantees to protect producers from competitors’ unfair trade policies.
