The United States is accelerating efforts to diversify its supply of critical minerals by strengthening strategic partnerships with Australia and the Democratic Republic of Congo amid tightening Chinese export controls on rare earth elements and other essential resources.

In a major development of late 2025, President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a framework agreement to expand cooperation on mining and processing of rare earths and critical minerals, pledging coordinated public and private investment to secure resilient supply chains for defence and advanced technologies.

The accord envisages streamlined permitting, substantial financing commitments and enhanced joint policy work to reduce dependence on China, which historically has dominated global rare earth exports and refining capacity.

The partnership includes plans to mobilise at least one billion US dollars in investment into projects in each country and to strengthen industrial capabilities that underpin critical sectors.

This initiative builds on decades of strategic cooperation and reflects a shared interest in securing essential inputs for clean energy, electrification and military systems.

Trump has framed the agreement as a boost to allied resilience, underscoring the United States’ commitment to “friend-shoring” alongside trusted partners.

Simultaneously, Washington is engaging with the Democratic Republic of Congo — host to vast reserves of copper, cobalt, lithium and other strategic minerals — as part of its broader strategy to reduce reliance on China and enhance access to key raw materials.

Talks between US officials and Congolese leaders aim to develop agreements that could attract American investment into mining and processing infrastructure in the resource-rich central African state.

Congolese authorities have indicated interest in securing a formal deal that would both support local development and provide the United States with preferential access to minerals deemed essential for modern technology and clean energy supply chains.

The discussions occur against a backdrop of long-standing Chinese commercial presence in the DRC, where Beijing has invested heavily in mining and related infrastructure.

Analysts note that both initiatives reflect Washington’s broader policy to fortify supply chains for critical mineral inputs that are essential to economic and national security interests, highlighting that Australia’s resource base and industrial expertise make it a cornerstone ally in this effort.

Canberra possesses some of the world’s richest deposits of materials like lithium and rare earths and has been a reliable partner in allied efforts to build resilient markets.

Meanwhile, intensified engagement with Congo represents a strategic push into Africa’s mineral hinterland.

Together these actions illustrate a multipronged approach by the United States to diversify its sourcing away from China, build deeper partnerships with resource-endowed nations, and protect global manufacturing and defence supply chains from geopolitical disruptions.