US, Japan Sign Agreement on 'Securing' Rare Earths Supply

The United States and Japan signed an agreement on Tuesday aimed at “securing” supplies of critical minerals and rare earth elements, the White House announced, as President Donald Trump continued his visit to Tokyo.

The accord comes amid Washington’s push to strengthen access to critical minerals following China’s tightening of export controls on rare earths.

According to the White House statement, the agreement seeks to “enhance resilience and security in the supply chains of critical minerals and rare earths” for both countries.

Under the deal, the United States and Japan will “jointly identify projects of mutual interest to address supply chain gaps” involving critical minerals and rare earths, as well as derivative products such as permanent magnets, batteries, catalysts, and optical materials.

The statement added that both governments “intend to mobilize public and private sector support” to achieve these goals.

Earlier this month, Beijing imposed sweeping restrictions on its rare earth industry, prompting Trump to threaten 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports in response.

During an earlier leg of his Asia tour, Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim signed a trade agreement to expand U.S. access to critical minerals.