menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

China-US critical minerals war an opportunity for Australia to get smart

8 0
yesterday

As the Trump administration deepens its tariff trade war with China, the latter has placed fresh curbs on exports to the US of the rare earths and critical minerals indispensable to the production of clean energy tech, as well as defence, computing and AI capabilities.

China controls 80-90% of the global supply, holding vast reserves and dominates processing after investing early and strategically. But Australia has major skin in this game too. We have the world’s largest supply of lithium and abundant reserves of cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite and rare earths. Currently, our biggest customer is our #1 trade partner, with 90% of our lithium going to China.

Now, Australia is being courted by the US as a potential key strategic partner in diversifying and securing its supply against the escalating backdrop of China-US tensions and retaliatory trade restrictions. Diversification of critical mineral supply chains will be high on the agenda in talks between Prime Minister Albanese and President Trump this week.

Negotiating our way between our biggest customer — the globally dominant force in all zero emissions technologies and industries of the future — and our traditional security ally is fraught. Trump has forced the world to think very differently about the now strategically-challenged concepts of old, about the workings of a free market capitalist global trade system with respect to the energy transformation and........

© Pearls and Irritations