Government announces expanded minerals cooperation with Japan

Following a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Canberra, the government has announced stronger cooperation with Japan on critical minerals, with greater support for onshore processing, refining and manufacturing.

A Joint Statement from the two Prime Ministers makes critical minerals a core pillar of the economic and national security relationship and will drive coordinated investment in strategic projects to address the most urgent supply chain vulnerabilities.

This cooperation will build on the existing Australia–Japan Critical Minerals Partnership, launched in 2022. It will enable greater access to capital and technology, as well as create stronger commercial linkages for Australian producers — matching this with Japanese industry demand.

The Australian Government through the Critical Minerals Facility and Export Finance Australia is providing support of up to $1.3 billion, including non-binding Letters of Support, to critical mineral projects with Japanese involvement, creating the potential to supply Japan with critical minerals including gallium, nickel, graphite, rare earths and fluorite.

“Japan has been a longstanding partner in the development of Australia’s critical minerals sector,” Albanese said. “By working closely with Japan, we can attract greater investment in our critical minerals sector and further develop the sector, creating jobs and capability in Australia.”

“Our cooperation with Japan is all about building more resilient and stable supply chains over the long term,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong. “We both see the tremendous potential in working more closely together to support reliable access to critical minerals.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Alfio Manciagli