Australia Joins Global Pact to Secure Critical Minerals Supply Chains

Australia signed a critical minerals declaration at the Pax Silica Summit, alongside six other countries.

Present at the December 12 summit were Australia, the US, Korea, Japan, the UK, Singapore and Israel.

“The Pax Silica Summit is a United States-led initiative on securing technology supply chains,” the Australian government shared in a December 13 announcement, adding that it is committed to working with global partners to assist in the creation of vital technology infrastructure needed for the future.

The Australian government also underlined that its participation in the summit is a reflection of its commitment to strengthening its critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI) and critical technologies.

Australia said that signing the declaration supports its focus on two aspects: fostering a competitive, safe and inclusive digital ecosystem; and strengthening economic resilience in the region.

“Through our participation at the summit, Australia has encouraged the United States to expand participation and to work with other partners to further shape how diversified critical technology supply chains are developed in our region."

The government added that this declaration will help the country and its international partners secure essential resources and infrastructure for advancing developments in technologies such as AI.

The Pax Silica Declaration is the third significant critical minerals agreement signed by Australia in 2025.

It follows an October rare earths deal between the Australia and US, where both countries swore to make an investment of more than US$1 billion over the next six months for initial projects.

In addition, Australia penned a joint declaration on critical minerals with Canada in November. It covers the setting up of a ministerial for critical minerals, project financing, policy alignment and regulation and information sharing.

Also in November, the UK listed Australia as a potential critical minerals partner, with Minister for Industry Chris McDonald saying that there is potential for a collaboration with Australia under the AUKUS defence pact.

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