Japan and the United States are set to agree to jointly develop rare earths, lithium and copper at Thursday’s summit, the Nikkei Business Daily reported on Tuesday.
Japanese firms Mitsubishi Materials and Mitsui & Co are due to take part in the projects, which include a rare earth refining operation in Indiana and the development of a lithium mine in North Carolina, Nikkei said.
The projects mark the latest efforts to secure supply chains of critical minerals, which are essential to the manufacture of certain defence technologies, semiconductors and renewables components.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington DC at a leaders’ summit on March 19.
(By Anton Bridge; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.