Australia Targets End of 2026 for Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve

The Australian government has shared an update on its planned Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve (CMSR), announcing a target date, as well as the first minerals to be included.

Madeleine King, minister for resources and minister for Northern Australia, said at a media conference on Monday (January 12) that the reserve “will be in operation by the end of the year.”

“We have been moving forward over the past six months in doing the work of the task force to develop the reserve,” she said, adding that new legislation will be introduced to expand the powers of Export Finance Australia.

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources will be overseeing strategic reserve transactions.

King also said that antimony, gallium and rare earths will the first minerals of focus for the CMSR. The plan is further detailed in a joint press release with Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell.

“(The) initial focus on antimony, gallium and rare earths will give added certainty to Australian projects, help attract further investment and help the sector deal with potential future market disruptions,” said King.

All three are essential for the clean energy, manufacturing and defence sectors.

“Our government is committed to seizing the new economic opportunities the global energy transition provides, with the critical minerals needed for items like batteries, solar panels and wind turbines, found right under our feet in Australia,” Farrell said, adding that Australia is some to some of the world's largest critical minerals deposits.

Rare earths are specifically becoming a focus in Australia, with the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies recently proposing a Rare Earths Production Scheme under the CMSR.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump signed a rare earths deal in October 2025 under which Australia and the US agreed to each make more than US$1 billion in investments over the next six months for initial projects, including antimony mines, to address the critical minerals global demand.

Antimony demand rose toward the end of 2025, driven by its role in defence and energy. For its part, gallium is a key ingredient for advanced semiconductors used in radar systems and telecommunications.

The CMSR will deploy AU$1 billion for new transactions, which will be drawn from the expanded AU$5 billion Critical Minerals Facility (CMF). The CMF provides government-backed loans and equity support for projects.

In addition, AU$185 million has been earmarked for targeted mineral stockpiling and related implementation costs, reinforcing Australia’s push to secure supply chains and attract investment into the sector.

“The world needs critical minerals,” Chalmers said. “Australia has plenty of them and our critical minerals reserve will help us weather global economic uncertainty and help to boost trade and investment.”

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Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.