Overview

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met President Donald Trump at the White House to pitch Australia as a trusted supplier of rare earths and other critical minerals.
• Australia has signaled U.S. access to a proposed A$1.2 billion strategic minerals reserve, with terms under discussion and options such as offtake agreements or possible equity stakes reported.
• China recently tightened export controls on rare‑earth materials and magnet technology, reinforcing its dominance of roughly 70% of mining and 90% of processing.
• The U.S. has announced a 100% tariff on Chinese imports starting next month in a bid to decouple supply chains from Chinese control.
• Canberra is building onshore capacity through loans exceeding A$2.6 billion to Arafura and Iluka, a A$4 billion facility and a 10% refining tax credit, though scaling is constrained by costs, workforce gaps and local environmental opposition.