<div dir="ltr"><div>Politico Pro</div><div><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0.25in;margin-left:0in;line-height:18pt"><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:black">LOCKING IN ON MINERALS:</span></strong><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:black"><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Trump administration is<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://url8086.email.politicopro.com/ss/c/u001.6g0Zd3AyneOViJYBXgbV65ZWHEH5gWGSDKLrcKzwr3_m8VnEz2rRWvhHIvUVHCgt_MUQKvqnqqZT_JbzqJ7swkIVIBYGWBZm43j_YcKOm7c/4np/g3l9ZmNYRKekpoWY5eEr4g/h12/h001.la43ZYYhA1QM3kS8G9OO2ifZUSkQ-eviJ6KqXduIz_g" target="_blank">circulating a draft framework agreement</a><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0.25in;margin-left:0in;line-height:18pt"><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:black">Why it matters: </span></strong><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:black">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0.25in;margin-left:0in;line-height:18pt"><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:black">What’s in it:</span></strong><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:black"><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0.25in;margin-left:0in;line-height:18pt"><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:black">Big picture:</span></strong><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:black"><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>The Trump administration’s efforts on critical minerals are wide-ranging and have included the State Department’s<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://url8086.email.politicopro.com/ss/c/u001.6g0Zd3AyneOViJYBXgbV65ZWHEH5gWGSDKLrcKzwr39u1Vjwzl9I_IQ-B2DCHSi6JF0ahoFiN5cpjmV7p_kFPkwuU08KxCBAhnwiNBanLHnL1OiBHF5OaH7xs1IO5F9enMyGrPus_yJRccT1wi9t0M2JDSQP4ozvCa8A_KJjZAs/4np/g3l9ZmNYRKekpoWY5eEr4g/h13/h001.0b9f2LCroQZqNR4jCtJwu6zRD0o0e5WsjgHR2puXnOc" target="_blank">Pax Silica Declaration</a>unveiled in December and Trump’s<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="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" target="_blank">executive order this month</a><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0.25in;margin-left:0in;line-height:18pt"><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:black">What’s next: </span></strong><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:black">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.</span><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:black"> </span></strong></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0.25in;margin-left:0in;line-height:18pt"><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:black"><br></span></strong></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0.25in;margin-left:0in;line-height:18pt"><strong><span style="font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;color:black"><br></span></strong></p></div></div>