Japan, US to agree joint development of critical minerals this week, Nikkei says

Reuters | March 17, 2026 | 7:00 am Critical Minerals Asia USA Copper Lithium Rare Earth

President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Credit: The White House

Japan and the United States are set to agree to jointly develop rare earths, lithium and copper at Thursday’s summit, the Nikkei Business Daily reported on Tuesday.

Japanese firms Mitsubishi Materials and Mitsui & Co are due to take part in the projects, which include a rare earth refining operation in Indiana and the development of a lithium mine in North Carolina, Nikkei said.

The projects mark the latest efforts to secure supply chains of critical minerals, which are essential to the manufacture of certain defence technologies, semiconductors and renewables components.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington DC at a leaders’ summit on March 19.

(By Anton Bridge; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)