• The United States, Japan, India, and Australia unveiled the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative on July 1
• The plan aims to diversify and secure critical mineral supply chains essential for clean energy
• Africa, holding about 30% of global critical mineral reserves, is expected to be central to future efforts

The United States, Japan, India, and Australia, working together under the Quad alliance, have announced a joint plan to boost the security of global critical mineral supply chains. The initiative, called the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, was launched on Tuesday, July 1, during a meeting held in Washington.

The four countries said the goal is to strengthen economic security and build collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify access to critical minerals. These minerals are key for industries such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, and advanced technologies.

Although the details of the plan have not yet been fully disclosed, officials confirmed that a formal framework for cooperation is already in place. According to Reuters, citing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, representatives from 30 to 40 companies across the four nations were scheduled to meet on the same day to discuss global cooperation on critical mineral supply chains.

The Quad countries said they want to reduce the risks of relying on a single country for the processing and refining of these essential resources. “Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation and supply chain disruptions,” they stated, as reported by international media.

While the joint statement did not name China directly, the move comes amid growing global concerns over China’s dominance in this sector. The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently sounded the alarm in its Global Critical Minerals Outlook, released in May. The report shows that China controls around 70% of the global refining market for critical minerals, raising concerns that any major disruptions could have significant economic impacts.

For now, the concrete results of the Quad’s initiative remain to be seen, as the project is still in its early stages. However, experts say it is one to watch closely, especially for Africa. The continent holds about 30% of the world’s known reserves of critical minerals, including graphite, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements.

Africa has already become a key focus for global powers looking to secure these strategic resources essential for the energy transition and emerging technologies.