G7 countries discuss permanent secretariat for critical minerals
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 5
G7 countries discuss permanent secretariat for critical minerals
14 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 5
Five sources said the unit could be based at the Paris-headquartered IEA or OECD, as France prepares a Thursday call before a mid-June Evian summit.
The body would help carry forward supply and stockpiling decisions beyond rotating G7 presidencies, though Europe has rejected a shared stockpile and opposes US leadership, sources said.
The IEA held a Brussels workshop with governments and companies including GM, Glencore and Umicore as Western powers seek to reduce dependence on Chinese rare earths and specialty metals.
Will the G7's push for mineral independence inadvertently trigger a global resource war with China?
Can the G7's mineral alliance succeed when China can deliberately crash prices to kill new competition?
Is the key to victory not more mining, but inventing technologies that don't need rare earths at all?
France Leads G7’s 2026 Strategy to End China’s 80% Dominance in Critical Mineral Processing
Overview
In 2026, France, as G7 president, is leading efforts to reduce the global reliance on China's dominance in critical mineral processing by promoting a comprehensive strategy. This includes boosting domestic production with strong financial support and aiming to meet the EU's rare earth needs by 2030. The G7's response also involves fostering innovation, diversifying supply chains, and enhancing international coordination through a proposed permanent secretariat designed to respect national sovereignty. However, internal disagreements, especially over shared stockpiles, and external challenges like U.S. tariff threats and China's strategic countermeasures, complicate these efforts. The G7 also faces the ongoing challenge of integrating key mineral-rich countries beyond its core members to build resilient, secure supply chains.