The United States and Japan signed an agreement on Tuesday in Tokyo to secure the supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths, according to the White House. This deal is part of a broader US effort to boost access to these essential materials and reduce dependence, particularly as China tightens controls on its rare earths industry.
The objective of the agreement is to build resilience and security in the supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths, including derivative products like permanent magnets and batteries.
The two nations committed to jointly identifying projects to address supply gaps and will mobilize both government and private sector support.
The agreement comes amid escalating tensions, with China recently announcing sweeping rare earth restrictions, which prompted President Donald Trump to threaten retaliatory tariffs. This follows a similar trade agreement the US signed with Malaysia earlier on the tour.
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