The United States unveiled new initiatives on Wednesday aimed at creating a trade bloc for critical minerals, a key sector for technology and defense. Under the plan, participating countries will set coordinated price floors and adjustable tariffs to reduce China’s dominance in the market. The announcement followed a Critical Minerals Ministerial held in Washington, attended by officials from 54 countries, including the U.S. and the EU.
As part of the effort, the U.S. signed agreements with 11 countries, bringing the total to 21 pacts concluded over the past five months. Moreover, negotiations with 17 additional nations are currently underway. These deals are designed to address price challenges, stimulate development, and create fairer markets.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who hosted the ministerial, announced the creation of the Forum for Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE). The partnership aims to coordinate global critical mineral policy, pricing, and project development, complementing the earlier Pax Silica initiative, which focused on safeguarding AI-related supply chains. Rubio stressed the risks of overreliance on a single country—clearly referencing China—including geopolitical leverage and potential supply disruptions.
Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. aims to protect domestic producers from cheap mineral imports. He emphasized that the preferential trade zone will establish reference prices at each step of production. Rubio also criticized unfair practices such as state subsidies that undercut foreign competitors.
The new measures are part of a broader push by the Trump administration to strengthen critical mineral supply chains. Earlier this week, President Trump unveiled Project Vault, a $12 billion reserve, including $10 billion from the Export-Import Bank and $2 billion in private funding, aimed at stabilizing prices for minerals such as rare earths, lithium, and copper to support U.S. manufacturers.
