Australian Business Delegation in USA to Explore Cooperation in Critical Minerals
Through Australia Trade & Investment Commission (Austrade), the Government of Australia is organizing a business mission to the USA to explore partnerships in the field of #CriticalMinerals. The move comes as US, and other western countries, scramble to develop alternative and diversified global supply chains (#GSC) for Critical Minerals, including Rare Earth Elements (#REE).
The delegation is scheduled to fly to US on 15 September 2025 in order to meet with senior officials of the Trump administration. The mission follows a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Australian PM Anthony Albanese on 4 September 2025.
Among the delegation, mining companies feature prominently, notably, Nyrstar, Pilbara Minerals, International Graphite, and Cobalt Blue, to name a few. Reports, so far, suggest that some 20 firms expressed interest.
The delegation has New York and Washington DC on its itinerary. Australian PM Albanese is also expected to be in New York around the same time to participate in the 80th United National General Assembly (#UNGA80).
In August 2025, the Trump administration announced that is planning to reallocate at least USD 2 billion from the budget under the CHIPS Act, initially targeted at semiconductors and chips, to fund critical minerals project.
As the tariff tussle between US and China heated up, the quasi-monopoly of China over Rare Earths became a trump card, so to speak. Therefore, Australia is positioning itself as a potential alternative supplier and producer. Australian mining outfits, such as Ionic Rare Earths and Lindian Resources, are also active in Africa which possesses many of the critical minerals that the world needs.
It is worth recalling that the US and Australia, as well as the UK, are collaborating to build nuclear submarines destined for patrol in the #IndoPacific under the AUKUS program. As a ‘good ally’ of US, Australia got only the 10% baseline tariff when Trump updated his tariff table on 1 August 2025.