US unveils critical minerals deals in latest push to counter China

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The United States on Friday announced several critical minerals agreements with multiple mining companies, marking its latest push to curb China’s dominance over the production and processing of strategic materials.

While attending a round table with global mining industry executives at the State Department, US President Donald Trump, without naming China, said that his administration would ensure America is “never again reliant on hostile foreign nations for the resources our country needs to dominate in the future”.

“We are putting our miners back to work, and we are reclaiming America’s rightful place as the minerals superpower of the world,” Trump added. “We are making mining great again.”

The measures included around US$2 billion investments in multiple mining projects across the country and abroad, along with over US$180 million for mining workforce development.

“Accredited mining programs in the United States now graduate less than 170 mining engineers each year, while China graduates more than 3,000 – and half of our current mining workforce is set to retire within the next three years,” Trump noted.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also took indirect swipes at China over its critical minerals dominance.