Quad Critical Minerals Initiative

Context: The Quad grouping — comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia — launched a major new programme titled the "Quad Critical Minerals Initiative" during a high-level foreign ministers' meeting in Washington, D.C. on July 1, 2025.

Key Objectives of the Initiative:

• Ensure availability and security of critical minerals, vital for technologies like EVs, batteries, semiconductors, and defense.

• Diversify and secure global supply chains to reduce dependency on China, which is known for price manipulation and coercive tactics.

• Promote economic security and collective resilience in the Indo-Pacific.

Major Highlights:

• Described as an “ambitious expansion” of the Quad’s economic cooperation.

• Responds to global concerns over supply chain disruptions and non-market practices in mineral processing.

• Aims to involve private sector investments in critical mineral supply chains and electronic waste recycling.

Concerns Expressed:

• Quad ministers highlighted the risks of relying on a single country (implicitly China) for refining, processing, and supply of critical minerals.

• Cited threats like economic coercion, price shocks, and disruptions affecting global industries and security.

Other Key Outcomes from the Meeting:

• Launch of the first “Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission”, focused on:

  • Maritime security cooperation

  • Combating illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and piracy

• Planning of a second maritime legal dialogue to uphold maritime order in the Indo-Pacific.

Participating Ministers:

• India: S. Jaishankar

• US: Marco Rubio

• Australia: Penny Wong

• Japan: Takeshi Iwaya

Why It Matters:

• The initiative is a direct response to China's dominance in the rare earth and critical minerals market.

• It reflects the Quad’s strategic shift toward economic coordination, not just defense and diplomacy.

• Aims to enhance technological and economic sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific.