Secretary of State Marco Rubio will kick off the agency’s first critical minerals ministerial next month as President Donald Trump seeks to better control the global flow of raw materials that Beijing dominates.
“On February 4, @SecRubio will welcome partners from across the globe to the State Department for the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial,” the agency announced on X. “Strengthening critical mineral supply chains with our international partners is vital to America’s economic and national security, technological leadership, and a resilient energy future.”
The State Department did not respond when asked for details.
The meeting arrives amid a blitz of White House chatter and dealmaking tied to minerals aimed at competing with China, which has an outsize influence over rare earth elements, controlling about 70 percent of global production and 90 percent of processing. Beijing also produces 80 percent of the world’s tungsten and 85 percent of the magnesium globally, according to research from FP Analytics and JCDREAM.
