The Foreign Ministers of India, the US, Japan, and Australia jointly announced the launch of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, a major step toward strengthening economic security and ensuring resilient and diversified supply chains across the Indo-Pacific.
According to a factsheet released by the US State Department following the 10th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Washington, DC on July 1, the new flagship initiative will enhance cooperation on critical mineral resources, which are essential for clean energy, high-tech manufacturing, and strategic industries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong reiterated their shared commitment to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, announcing a range of collaborative initiatives.
Key Highlights:
- The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative will focus on securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains, boosting investment, and promoting e-waste recovery and reprocessing.
- The initiative aims to support economic opportunities and prosperity for the Quad countries and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
- The Quad plans to coordinate with private sector stakeholders to drive investments and innovation in critical mineral development and logistics.
The Quad also deepened maritime collaboration through several key actions:
- Launched the first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, enhancing interoperability to combat illegal maritime activity, including piracy and unregulated fishing.
- Announced the second Maritime Legal Dialogue to be held later this month.
- Continued implementation of the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), which includes satellite-based surveillance and data-sharing expansion across the Indian Ocean.
- Introduced MAITRI (Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific), with the first workshop scheduled for 2025.
Infrastructure and Digital Connectivity:
- The Quad will host the Ports of the Future Partnership Conference in Mumbai in October 2025 to strengthen transportation and logistics frameworks.
- The conference will promote dialogue on advanced port infrastructure, supply chain resilience, and private sector mobilization.
- A new Undersea Cables Forum, co-hosted by the US and India later this year, will focus on expanding secure digital infrastructure and improving regulatory harmonization among Quad nations.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to working with Indo-Pacific partners to uphold maritime order, energy security, and economic resilience while advancing transparent, high-quality infrastructure development.
The launch of the Critical Minerals Initiative reflects the Quad’s strategic pivot towards securing vital resources that underpin global clean energy and technology goals, amid rising geopolitical and supply chain challenges.
