Jaishankar set to visit US to participate in critical mineral summit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be leaving for the United States (US) on Monday on a two-day visit to participate in discussions around critical minerals, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

 

The ministry said that Jaishankar will visit the US between February 2 and 4 to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "The Ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals," it said.

 

During the visit, Jaishankar will also hold meetings with senior members of the US administration.

Summit aims to reduce dependence on China

Global leaders from the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), Japan, and Australia are expected to discuss a strategic alliance over critical minerals, The Guardian reported. It is the second such meeting in a month and brings together around 20 countries, including G7 members, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Mexico, and possibly Argentina.

 

The summit is aimed at building new partnerships that reduce dependence on China, especially in areas like steel and critical minerals. Discussions will be around strengthening supply chains outside China, with support through investment and pricing policies.

 

According to the report, a key issue under discussion is whether the US will guarantee a minimum price for critical minerals and rare earths.

India strengthening critical minerals supply chains

The summit will be significant for India, which is trying to strengthen domestic supply chains. In the 2026 Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced dedicated rare-earth mineral corridors across key coastal states and a basic customs duty (BCD) exemption on capital goods used for critical mineral processing, as the government moves to strengthen domestic supply chains for strategic minerals.

 

The rare earths corridors, which will be set up in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, will focus on mining, processing, research and manufacturing of rare-earth elements.