[CTC] Critical Minerals Draft Framework Agreement (attached)

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Politico Pro

*LOCKING IN ON MINERALS:* The Trump administration is circulating a draft
framework agreement
<https://url8086.email.politicopro.com/ss/c/u001.6g0Zd3AyneOViJYBXgbV65ZWHEH5gWGSDKLrcKzwr3_m8VnEz2rRWvhHIvUVHCgt_MUQKvqnqqZT_JbzqJ7swkIVIBYGWBZm43j_YcKOm7c/4np/g3l9ZmNYRKekpoWY5eEr4g/h12/h001.la43ZYYhA1QM3kS8G9OO2ifZUSkQ-eviJ6KqXduIz_g>
 for cooperation on critical mineral sourcing and processing among
countries invited to attend the State Department’s inaugural Critical
Minerals Ministerial in Washington next week.

*Why it matters: *The draft document — which would be nonbinding for
signatories — represents the latest administration initiative to loosen
China’s global chokehold on critical minerals and rare earths. And the
State Department is asking dozens of countries invited to the Feb. 4
meeting to commit to signing the framework.

*What’s in it:* The language in the document mirrors that of critical
mineral framework agreements that the administration struck with Australia
and Japan last year. It provides the template to ensure the U.S. has access
to critical minerals through standards for government and private
investment in areas including mining, processing and recycling to price
guarantees to protect producers from competitors’ unfair trade policies.

*Big picture:* The Trump administration’s efforts on critical minerals are
wide-ranging and have included the State Department’s Pax Silica Declaration
<https://url8086.email.politicopro.com/ss/c/u001.6g0Zd3AyneOViJYBXgbV65ZWHEH5gWGSDKLrcKzwr39u1Vjwzl9I_IQ-B2DCHSi6JF0ahoFiN5cpjmV7p_kFPkwuU08KxCBAhnwiNBanLHnL1OiBHF5OaH7xs1IO5F9enMyGrPus_yJRccT1wi9t0M2JDSQP4ozvCa8A_KJjZAs/4np/g3l9ZmNYRKekpoWY5eEr4g/h13/h001.0b9f2LCroQZqNR4jCtJwu6zRD0o0e5WsjgHR2puXnOc>unveiled
in December and Trump’s executive order this month
<https://url8086.email.politicopro.com/ss/c/u001.6g0Zd3AyneOViJYBXgbV60SgT1lbNwilsYKFij_SeSTMggZEGyIhu4gg171cp-9vCPty4Dbq3HllLeZvC8SOdR6Y9Fy9Vxwxz_h1fV3Y2oTnlMHXFF-I0VWjFZruF8HiCzjOR8NQUnZx8L_4YM2kKbFOLoHjlhY0Ybxo0L6_fGbi3GIrWbMROTGStgB4GBTinaUJId5F5amrFkPcV7NPaDQv9yHtbLfaau6rN8sgsXuQhWVKfhBHWDc0GqTvTGVySP1-vZNUl4lZLQ-i7e2EWVju5z-KefWeXgrUUD-kQuc/4np/g3l9ZmNYRKekpoWY5eEr4g/h14/h001.2jA1HeUpEZ8CP4BsV7p5mOGELFSLknw3UTTY_ZROXDg>
 directing the Commerce and Treasury departments to negotiate trade deals
to reduce “the threatened impairment of national security” linked to
reliance on China for those materials.

*What’s next: *The agreement commits framework signatories to provide
details of their efforts to comply with the framework’s objectives within
six months. That includes “measures to provide significant amounts in
financing to projects located in each country,” the document said.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.citizenstrade.org/pipermail/ctcfield-citizenstrade.org/attachments/20260129/fad7aa16/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: state-department-template-for-a-framework-agreement-on-cooperation-on-critical-minerals-sourcing-and-processing.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 44411 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.citizenstrade.org/pipermail/ctcfield-citizenstrade.org/attachments/20260129/fad7aa16/attachment-0001.pdf>