〈美國-澳洲關於關鍵礦物和稀土開採和加工供應保障框架（協議）〉白宮 20251020

【雙魚之論】
「關鍵礦物和稀土」兩者分列，很有趣。

〈美國-澳洲關於關鍵礦物和稀土開採和加工供應保障框架（協議）〉白宮 20251020

鑑於稀土和關鍵礦物對於先進技術的生產至關重要；

鑑於美利堅合眾國（「美國」或「U.S.」）和澳大利亞聯邦（「澳大利亞」，合稱「參與者」）打算支持對美國和澳大利亞商業和國防工業至關重要的原材料和加工關鍵礦物及稀土的供應；

鑑於，各方計劃透過使用經濟政策工具和協調投資來加速發展多元化、流動性強、公平的關鍵礦產和稀土市場，以實現這一目標；

鑑於，參與者的目標是協助兩國實現關鍵礦產和稀土供應鏈的韌性和安全性，包括採礦、分離和加工；

鑑於各方有意利用各自現有的國內關鍵礦產、重稀土和輕稀土開採和加工業務以及將於2026年投入使用的新產能。

因此，與會各方就關鍵礦產和稀土開採及加工的共同政策框架達成以下諒解。

 

第一節

關鍵礦物和稀土

1. 保障供應：參與者正在加強合作，加速保障國防和先進技術製造及其各自工業基礎所需的關鍵礦產和稀土的安全供應，包括利用現有的政策工具，如美國的工業需求和儲備基礎設施以及澳洲的關鍵礦產戰略儲備。
2. 採礦和加工投資：參與者將動員政府和私營部門的支持，包括透過擔保、貸款或股權提供資本和營運支出；確定承購安排；保險；或監管便利化。
1. 項目選擇：參與者將共同確定感興趣的項目，以解決優先供應鏈中的差距。
2. 融資：除上述步驟外，在本框架簽署之日起 6 個月內，參與者將採取措施，向位於美國和澳洲的預計生產最終產品並交付給美國和澳洲買家的項目分別提供至少 10 億美元的融資。
3. 投資支援：參與者將共同努力開發新的或客製化的機制，以加強關鍵礦產和稀土供應鏈。
4. 部長級會議：與會各方決定在本框架協議簽署之日起180天內召開礦業、礦產及金屬投資部長級會議，以促進礦業投資。
3. 許可：參與者正在採取措施加快、簡化或放鬆許可時間表和流程，包括根據適用法律在各自的國內監管體系內獲得關鍵礦物和稀土開採、分離和加工的許可證。
4. 價格機制：各參與者將努力保護各自國內關鍵礦產和稀土市場免受非市場政策和不公平貿易行為的影響，包括透過採用基於標準的體系，使採用標準的各方能夠在包括價格下限或類似措施在內的定價框架內自由貿易。各參與者也將與國際夥伴合作，制定未來全球框架，以因應相關的國際定價挑戰。
5. 資產出售：參與者承諾真誠合作，制定新的或加強現有的權力和外交手段，以審查和阻止基於國家安全原因的關鍵礦產和稀土資產出售。
6. 廢棄物：參與者承諾投資礦物回收技術，並共同努力確保支持供應鏈多樣化的關鍵礦物和稀土廢料的管理。
7. 第三方：參與者將與適當的第三方合作，以確保供應鏈安全並利用現有的參與機制。
8. 地質測繪：參與者將合作協助繪製澳洲、美國及其他共同確定地區的礦產資源圖，以支持關鍵礦產供應鏈多樣化。
9. 快速反應：參與者正在建立由美國能源部長和澳洲資源部長領導的美澳關鍵礦產供應安全應對小組，以確定優先礦產和供應弱點，並製定協調計劃，以加快本框架下加工礦產的交付。

8. 地質測繪：參與者將合作協助繪製澳洲、美國及其他共同確定地區的礦產資源圖，以支持多樣化的關鍵礦產供應鏈。
9. 快速反應：參與者正在建立由美國能源部長和澳洲資源部長領導的美澳關鍵礦產供應安全應對小組，以確定優先礦產和供應弱點，並製定協調計劃，以加快本框架下加工礦產的交付。

 

第二節

一般規定

1. 專案後分析及實施工作由參與者主管機關負責進行。項目後分析的具體內容由參與者根據各自國內法制定。
2. 參與者將在收到另一方參與者的書面請求後 10 天內以虛擬或面對面的方式舉行會議。
3. 任何一方均可透過向另一方發出書面通知終止參與本框架。除非終止參與的一方另行通知，否則終止將於另一方收到書面通知之日起第三十日生效。
4. 該框架列出了一項政策和綱領性行動計劃，它不構成或產生國內法或國際法規定的權利或義務，不引起任何法律程序，也不構成或產生任何明示或暗示的具有法律約束力或可執行的義務。

於二零二五年十月二十日在哥倫比亞特區華盛頓簽署。

澳洲政府代表：安東尼·阿爾巴尼斯　總理

美國：唐納德·J·川普　總統

 

 

 

United States-Australia Framework For Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earth 20251020

Whereas, rare earths and critical minerals are essential for the production of advanced technologies;

Whereas, the United States of America (the “United States” or “U.S.”) and the Commonwealth of Australia (“Australia”, and together, the “Participants”) intend to support the supply of raw and processed critical minerals and rare earths crucial to the commercial and defense industries of the United States and Australia;

Whereas, the Participants plan to accomplish this through use of economic policy tools and coordinated investment to accelerate development of diversified, liquid, fair markets for critical minerals and rare earths;

Whereas, the Participants’ objective is to assist both countries in achieving resilience and security of critical minerals and rare earths supply chains, including mining, separation, and processing;

Whereas, the Participants intend to capitalize on their respective existing domestic mining and processing operations in critical minerals and heavy and light rare earths as well as new capacity to be made available in 2026.

Therefore, the Participants have reached the following understanding on a common policy framework for the mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths.

Section I

Critical Minerals and Rare Earths

1. Securing supply: The Participants are intensifying their cooperative efforts to accelerate the secure supply of critical minerals and rare earths necessary to support manufacturing of defense and advanced technologies and their respective industrial bases, including by leveraging existing policy tools such as the United States’ industrial demand and stockpiling infrastructure and Australia’s Critical Mineral Strategic Reserve.
2. Investment in mining and processing: The Participants will mobilize government and private sector support including for capital and operational expenditures via guarantees, loans, or equity; finalization of offtake arrangements; insurance; or regulatory facilitation.
1. Project selection: The Participants will jointly identify projects of interest to address gaps in priority supply chains.
2. Financing: In addition to the steps above, within 6 months of the date of this Framework, the Participants are taking measures to provide at least $1 billion in financing to projects located in each of the United States and Australia expected to generate end product for delivery to buyers in the United States and Australia.
3. Investment support: The Participants will work together to develop new or bespoke mechanisms to strengthen critical minerals and rare earths supply chains.
4. Ministerial: The Participants have decided to promote investment in mining by convening a Mining, Minerals and Metals Investment Ministerial within 180 days of the date of this Framework.
3. Permitting: The Participants are taking measures to accelerate, streamline, or deregulate permitting timelines and processes, including to obtain permits for critical minerals and rare earths mining, separation, and processing within their respective domestic regulatory systems, consistent with applicable law.
4. Price Mechanisms: The Participants will work to protect their respective domestic critical minerals and rare earths markets from non-market policies and unfair trade practices, including through the adoption of standards-based systems in which those who adopt the standards can trade freely and within a pricing framework including price floors or similar measures.The Participants will also work with international partners to develop a future global framework to deal with associated international pricing challenges.
5. Asset Sales: The Participants commit to work in good faith to develop new or strengthen existing authorities and diplomatic tools that review and deter critical minerals and rare earths asset sales on national security grounds.
6. Scrap: The Participants commit to investing in minerals recycling technology and to work together to ensure management of critical minerals and rare earth scrap that supports supply chain diversification.
7. Third parties: The Participants will work together with third parties as appropriate to ensure supply chain security and utilize existing engagement mechanisms.
8. Geological mapping: The Participants will cooperate to assist in mapping mineral resources in Australia, the United States, and elsewhere as mutually determined, to support diversified critical mineral supply chains.
9. Rapid Response: The Participants are establishing a U.S.-Australia Critical Minerals Supply Security Response Group under the leadership of the U.S. Secretary of Energy and the Australian Minister for Resources to identify priority minerals and supply vulnerabilities and develop a coordinated plan to accelerate delivery of processed minerals under this Framework.

8. Geological mapping: The Participants will cooperate to assist in mapping mineral resources in Australia, the United States, and elsewhere as mutually determined, to support diversified critical mineral supply chains.
9. Rapid Response: The Participants are establishing a U.S.-Australia Critical Minerals Supply Security Response Group under the leadership of the U.S. Secretary of Energy and the Australian Minister for Resources to identify priority minerals and supply vulnerabilities and develop a coordinated plan to accelerate delivery of processed minerals under this Framework.

 

Section II

General Provisions

1. The appropriate authorities of the Participants will carry out post-project analysis and implementation.The specific content of the post-project analysis is to be developed between/among the Participants, in accordance with their respective domestic laws.
2. The Participants will meet, virtually or in-person, at the written request of the other Participant within 10 days of the receipt of the request.
3. Either Participant may discontinue its participation in this Framework by giving written notification to the other Participant.Absent notice to the contrary from the discontinuing Participant, any such discontinuation would be effective on the thirtieth day after the date of receipt of the written notification by the other Participant.
4. The Framework sets out a policy and programmatic action plan that does not constitute or create rights or obligations under domestic or international law, does not give rise to any legal process, and does not constitute or create any legally binding or enforceable obligations, express or implied.

Signed in Washington, District of Columbia this twentieth day of October, two thousand and twenty-five.

For the Government of the For the Government of Australia:

United States of America:

Donald J. Trump Anthony Albanese

President Prime Minister