US, China put critical minerals at centre of high-stakes trade talks
Critical minerals have moved to the centre of renewed economic negotiations between the United States and China, as senior officials from both countries begin talks in New York ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are scheduled to discuss critical-mineral supplies alongside trade and artificial intelligence. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is also participating in the talks.
The discussions come amid continuing US concerns over supplies of Chinese rare-earth magnets and other critical minerals. Washington says deliveries have not met expectations under the existing trade understanding between the two countries.
China had committed to restoring the flow of critical minerals to US and global users under the trade truce, but a senior US official said the country's performance had "not been up to par", making mineral supplies one of the issues expected to feature prominently in the discussions.
The significance extends beyond the US and China. Rare earths and other critical minerals are essential to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, electric vehicles, renewable-energy equipment and defence technologies, making access to mineral supply chains increasingly intertwined with industrial and national-security policy.
The talks therefore come at a time when governments and mining companies across Africa are seeking to attract investment into deposits of lithium, copper, cobalt, graphite, manganese and other minerals considered strategic to the energy transition.
For African producers, the unfolding US-China competition could create new markets and investment opportunities, but it also raises questions over whether the continent will remain primarily an exporter of raw materials or develop the processing capacity needed to capture more value from its mineral resources.
By Mining Today
