US and Japan Forge Strategic Partnership to Secure Critical Minerals and Rare Earths Supply Chains

President Trump and Japanese PM Takaichi display the signed agreement documents during the Tokyo meeting.

The United States and Japan formally entered into an agreement on Tuesday aimed at "securing" supplies of critical minerals and rare earths, according to a White House statement released during President Donald Trump's visit to Tokyo.

This strategic partnership emerges as the United States seeks to enhance access to these vital resources, particularly in response to China's increasing restrictions on rare earth exports.

According to the official statement, the agreement's primary purpose is "to assist both countries in achieving resilience and security of critical minerals and rare earths supply chains."

Under the terms of the deal, the United States and Japan will "jointly identify projects of interest to address gaps in supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths, including derivative products such as permanent magnets, batteries, catalysts, and optical materials."

The statement further indicated that both nations "intend to mobilize government and private sector support" to achieve these objectives.

The timing of this agreement follows Beijing's announcement earlier this month of comprehensive restrictions on its rare earths industry, which prompted President Trump to threaten retaliatory measures including potential 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports.

This agreement with Japan comes on the heels of another significant development during Trump's Asian tour, where he and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim signed a trade agreement that likewise enhanced US access to critical minerals.