U.S. Seeks New Alliance to Break China's Grip on Vital Minerals

The United States is pushing to form a new international trade alliance. Its goal is to secure supplies of critical minerals, which are essential for modern technologies. This move marks a shift from recent tariff threats. Instead, the U.S. invited ministers from 55 countries to talks in Washington. The focus is on reducing global reliance on China. China currently dominates both the mining and processing of these elements. They are used in everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to military equipment. In a related development, Japan is pursuing a different solution. It aims to become the first nation to mine rare earth elements from deep-sea mud. This could revolutionize how these critical minerals are supplied.