United States and Australia Meet for Mining, Minerals and Metals Investment Ministerial

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United States and Australia meet for Mining, Minerals and Metals Investment Ministerial

The Australian and U.S. Governments have announced support for the following projects to develop the critical minerals supply chains that underpin this framework – totaling $1.4 billion (Australia) and $2.2 billion (U.S.) to diversify critical supply chains.

Energy.gov

March 14, 2026

We, the Australian Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, the Hon Madeleine King MP, and Secretaries and senior representatives from the United States, including Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Lee Zeldin, Chairman of the U.S. Export Import Bank John Jovanovic, and Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson, held our inaugural Mining, Minerals, and Metals Investment Ministerial in Tokyo on 14 March 2026, to advance cooperation under the landmark bilateral agreement, the United States–Australia Framework for Securing Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths (the Framework).

Under the Framework, Australia and the United States are delivering concrete outcomes to strengthen, secure, and diversify critical minerals and rare earth supply chains. Within six months of agreement of the Framework, we have each taken measures to provide at least USD $ 1 billion in financing to key critical minerals projects. By mobilising government and private sector capital, these investments support the development of our shared industrial base and strengthen longer term supply for defence, manufacturing, and energy supply chains.

To build resilience, enhance stability, and bolster economic security in support of our shared critical minerals interests, Australia and the United States today announce the establishment of the Critical Minerals Supply Security Response Group and commit to deeper cooperation between our key agencies.

In line with the Framework, the Critical Minerals Supply Security Response Group, led by senior representatives from the United States Department of Energy and the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources, will cooperate on priority minerals and supply chain vulnerabilities and coordinate efforts to accelerate the delivery of processed minerals under the Framework.

Australia and the United States also commit to leveraging shared policy and interagency regulatory tools and, where appropriate, investments to secure critical minerals supply, including through cooperation between Australia’s Critical Minerals Facility and Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve and the United States’ Export-Import Bank (EXIM) and Project Vault.

We have approved a joint forward workplan to operationalise collaboration between our two governments across key areas, including protecting domestic markets from nonmarket policies, cooperating on mineral resource mapping, streamlining permitting processes and accelerating timelines, and facilitating minerals recovery from waste streams. The Ministerial or its delegates will reconvene again within the next 12 months.

Background

The Australian and U.S. Governments (including through Export Finance Australia and the Export-Import Bank) have announced support for the following projects to develop the critical minerals supply chains that underpin this framework – totaling $1.4 billion (Australia) and $2.2 billion (U.S.) to diversify critical supply chains:

• Alcoa Gallium Recovery Project
• Arafura’s Nolans Rare Earths Project
• Tronox Rare Earths Refinery Project
• Ardea Kalgoorlie Nickel Project
• Astron’s Donald Rare Earths Project
• Graphinex’s Esmerelda Graphite Mine
• RZ Resources Copi Rare Earths Project
• La Trobe Magnesium
• Northern Minerals Heavy Rare Earths Project
• Global Advanced Metals
• EQ Resources Mt Carbine Tungsten Project Additional projects for minerals including vanadium and scandium have also received indicative support by the Australian and U.S. Governments.

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