The United Kingdom and the United States have signed a new partnership aimed at securing critical mineral supply chains and boosting investment in domestic mining and processing projects.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Washington DC by UK Foreign Office Minister Seema Malhotra and US Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg during a meeting attended by representatives from more than 50 countries. The agreement is designed to accelerate efforts to secure supplies of critical minerals essential for industries ranging from automotive and defence to clean energy and electronics.
The partnership supports the UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy, published last November and backed by up to £50 million in new funding to strengthen domestic production and processing capacity. Under the strategy, the government aims to ensure that by 2035 no more than 60 percent of the UK’s supply of any single critical mineral comes from one country.
The new UK-US framework seeks to encourage greater private investment in mining and processing projects, while enhancing cooperation between the two allies to build more resilient and diversified global supply chains.
Minister Seema Malhotra said the agreement reflects a shared commitment to strengthening supply chain resilience and safeguarding long-term economic growth. Industry Minister Chris McDonald added that the partnership would help stimulate new investment into British mineral projects and support sectors reliant on secure access to raw materials.
The agreement adds to the UK’s expanding network of bilateral critical minerals partnerships, which already includes Australia and Canada.
The UK critical minerals sector contributes £1.79 billion to the economy and supports more than 50,000 jobs. There are currently over 50 domestic projects focused on extracting and refining critical materials.
