Challenging China's Rare-Earth Dominance: US-Australia Agreement

The United States and Australia have entered into a significant partnership agreement targeting critical minerals to counter China's influence over rare earth production. Signed during Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's first official White House summit with US President Donald Trump, the pact aims at enhancing Western supply chains to reduce reliance on China, which dominates the global rare earth market. This arrangement becomes crucial as Beijing tightens export controls amidst escalating trade disputes with the United States. The agreement, valued at $8.5 billion, sets the stage for strategic investments from both countries in projects related to clean energy technologies, advanced…