India, US sign critical minerals deal amid concerns about Chinese export controls

India and the United States on Tuesday announced a framework to cooperate in ensuring a steady supply of critical minerals amid concerns about China's export controls on rare earth elements.

The framework, signed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Delhi, aims to deepen bilateral cooperation in supply chains of critical minerals and rare earths, including mining, processing, recycling and related investments.

The agreement seeks to strengthen “resilient and diversified supply chains, while promoting collaboration in financing and effective management of critical minerals and rare earths scrap”, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.

Jaishankar said that the agreement was “something very timely and critical”.

“...it’s one more sign of how close our [bilateral] cooperation is and how important it is today in a world where there are so many challenges but also so many opportunities,” the external affairs minister added.

Rubio said that the strategic partnership between India and the US is important for their national interests.

“We are two countries that have strategic interests in ensuring reliable long-term access to critical minerals and supply chains that are important for our innovation economy...and today’s [signing is] tangible evidence of why we are strategic allies,” Rubio said.

Since 2023, China has been increasing export controls on some critical minerals and rare earth elements. In...

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