Ministers from the US, EU, UK, Japan, Australia and New Zealand will meet in Washington this week to discuss a strategic alliance over critical minerals. One area of discussion will be calls for the US to guarantee a minimum price for critical minerals and rare earths. Canberra’s resources minister, Madeleine King, said a US decision not to offer minimum pricing “won’t stop Australia from pursuing our critical minerals reserve programme”. A UK minister will attend, the Foreign Office said, adding: “UK economic security goes hand in hand with national security. That’s why we are working to ensure a diversified critical minerals supply chain – a vital step to securing economic growth in the UK.

Source: The Guardian February 01, 2026 15:30 UTC