US, Australia Sign $3B Critical Minerals Deal Amid China Export Controls
- On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical-minerals agreement in the White House Cabinet Room, creating an $8.5 billion pipeline of projects.
- China announced strict export controls earlier this month, escalating trade tensions as Beijing dominates rare earth refining and the U.S. depends on Chinese imports.
- The framework commits $3 billion in joint investments over six months, including $1 billion immediate financing, while the Export-Import Bank plans $2.2 billion and the Pentagon backs a gallium refinery.
- The agreement aims to secure U.S.-Australia supply-chain security and deepen ties, with Trump pledging to accelerate delivery of three Virginia-class submarines before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- Longer-Term moves include strategic-reserve sales and market safeguards, as Australia signals willingness to sell shares in a strategic reserve of critical minerals and sets a minimum price floor, positioning itself as one of the few processors of rare earths outside China.
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Australia's prime minister had to wait ten months for an appointment with Trump, which ran pretty well for Albanese. Trump's grudge met another.


Trump, Australia PM sign deal on minerals
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical-minerals deal at the White House on Monday as the U.S. eyes the continent's rich rare-earth resources when China is imposing tougher rules on exporting its own…
Against the background of the conflict with China, the US and Australia are intensifying their cooperation on rare earths. In the future, billions of dollars will flow into Australian funding projects.
Behind Beijing’s Tough Trade Tactics, a Slowing Chinese Economy
China’s been playing hardball on trade. Now we may know why. Earlier this month, China landed its biggest trade war blow yet, placing extreme export controls on its critical rare earth minerals industry, a move that gives it more leverage in the seemingly never-ending negotiations for a broader trade deal. The hardline tactic came just before new economic data from Beijing late Sunday showed the Chinese economy grew at its slowest pace in a year…
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