Quad Critical Minerals Initiative

Country / jurisdiction: Australia · Year: 2025 · Status: In force · Level: International · Type: Voluntary

In July 2025, the Foreign Ministers of the Quad (Australia, India, Japan and the United States) met to discuss shared issues and priorities. In a joint statement issued following the meeting, the Foreign Ministers highlighted concerns over the concentration and reliability of critical mineral supply chains, warning that reliance on any one country for processing and refining could expose industries to economic coercion, price manipulation and supply disruptions. To address these risks, the Quad launched the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, through which members agreed to collaborate on securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains, including through supply chain resilience measures, electronic waste recovery and reprocessing, and engagement with private sector partners to facilitate investment.

In May 2026, the Quad countries adopted the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework , which operationalises the Initiative through cooperation on investment and project development, regulatory alignment, standards and technology, and engagement with industry. The framework also envisages mobilising up to USD 20 billion in public and private sector support for critical minerals supply chains, including mining, processing and recycling projects, with the aim of accelerating the development of more diversified and resilient critical mineral markets.

Official source: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/07/joint-statement-from-the-quad-foreign-ministers-meeting-in-washington/