Trump Signs Rare Earths Pact With Japan To Counter China’s Grip

 

 

President Donald Trump on Monday signed a landmark agreement with Japan to boost cooperation on critical minerals and rare earth processing — a major step in his Asia tour aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on China.

 

The deal, inked with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, commits both nations to “intensify cooperative efforts” and provide financial backing for joint mining and processing projects within six months. These materials — essential for smartphones, electric vehicles, and weapons systems — have become a new front in global economic rivalry.

 

Trump and Takaichi also pledged to usher in what they called “a new golden age” for the U.S.–Japan alliance, reinforcing Tokyo’s role as Washington’s closest ally in Asia amid growing tensions with Beijing.

 

The move follows a string of similar agreements signed by the U.S. over the weekend with Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, all centered on securing supply chains for rare earth elements and critical raw materials.

 

China’s recent decision to tighten export controls on key minerals such as gallium and germanium has reignited Western fears of economic blackmail. Trump is expected to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping over the issue when the two meet later this week at the APEC summit in South Korea.

 

“Critical minerals are the oil of the 21st century,” a White House official said. “This is about securing America’s future — and keeping Beijing’s hands off the switch.”

 

Key Takeaways:

• Trump and Japan sign pact to accelerate joint mining and processing of critical minerals.

• Agreement follows U.S. deals with Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia.

• China’s export curbs have made rare earth security a top geopolitical priority.

 

Original Source: THE HILL

 

 

14 minutes ago, Social Media said:

Key Takeaways:

 

Japan is known to have an abundant supply of rare earth minerals but much of it is underwater, making it difficult to mine.

 

Japan's solved it's own dependence on rare earths by develop technologies and to support investment in equipment to reduce the use of rare earths.

 

 

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

President Donald Trump on Monday signed a landmark agreement with Japan to boost cooperation on critical minerals and rare earth processing — a major step in his Asia tour aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on China.

 

But as with every deal Trump has claimed to have reached, they are just a piece of paper with his signature, even not suitable as toilet tissue.

The guy acts like a clown, so moist likely is one.

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-hails-ally-japan-offers-030254328.html

 

But documents from the White House on Tuesday suggested that the agreements remained ill-defined. The trade document simply “noted with satisfaction swift and continued efforts by both countries, and confirmed their strong commitment to implementing” their trade deal.

 

The critical minerals pact was also light on details, with the two nations simply pledging to coordinate on permitting, financing and mapping.

Instead, the pair mostly heaped praise on each other. Takaichi told Trump she would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize over his diplomatic efforts, while Trump offered the prime minister signed golf hats reading “JAPAN IS BACK” in gold text.

 

 

Watch a fascinating documentary on this rare earths stuff.

 

It was claimed that the 'real gold' is not what is mined, but what is recovered from the waste during the production of aluminium. 

 

And the kicker is not the process itself, but the huge amounts of energy needed.

 

China went crazy for decades building hydroelectric, wind and solar capacity to be able to provide huge amounts of relatively cheap electricity.

 

It was claimed the US is now 30/40 years behind.

 

 

There's no shortage of rare earths. It's the shortage of rare earth processing facilities and technology that is the problem.

 

China has had years of development to get ahead, plus with solar, hydroelectric and cheap Russian oil, there power cost per unit cannot be undercut by anyone at the moment.  This will soon be obvious with the cost of running massive data centres for AI. How wil the US compete?

Also signed agreements w/ ASEAN countries for trade, tariffs and minerals, including Thailand. 

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-sign-trade-deals-with-cambodia-malaysia-trump-says-2025-10-26/

And Australia last week. It's the processing part that needs to be up and going quickly. 

Rare earths?  The literal gold mine is in China.  And they will only need to tell the US to piss off, and all computers, electric cars, etc., will come to a standstill, as soon as that happens.  And it will happen soon.  Watch out, Trump, some ELSE is holding the "trump" card.

China has over 60% of the world's rare earths and 80% of the rare earth refining capacity. Could be difficult to overcome this hurdle.

3 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

Rare earths?  The literal gold mine is in China.  And they will only need to tell the US to piss off, and all computers, electric cars, etc., will come to a standstill, as soon as that happens.  And it will happen soon.  Watch out, Trump, some ELSE is holding the "trump" card.

 

Of course Trump is bragging about the empty deals he's making, and his followers are stepping into it with both feet.

The ones that are laughing are the countries who stroke his ego with their empty deals, and especially China who holds all the card.

This is just another example of Trump ignorance, as he thinks he can play China with these announcements, but China is the one that plays him, since they know as no other that his deals are not worth the paper they are written on.

15 hours ago, CallumWK said:

But as with every deal Trump has claimed to have reached, they are just a piece of paper with his signature, even not suitable as toilet tissue.

 

Really? Do you really believe that all these negotiations with world leaders where agreements are reached are all "fake"?

Or that they just end up not doing what they agreed to?

Total anarchy, man !!

They just put The Clash in charge.

 

 

2 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

Really? Do you really believe that all these negotiations with world leaders where agreements are reached are all "fake"?

 

Tell us about the agreements he has made AND honoured?

It is already made clear from the documents viewed by some, that the deal with Japan is just a piece of paper not worth anything.

7 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Japan is known to have an abundant supply of rare earth minerals but much of it is underwater, making it difficult to mine.

 

5 hours ago, CallumWK said:

But documents from the White House on Tuesday suggested that the agreements remained ill-defined. The trade document simply “noted with satisfaction swift and continued efforts by both countries, and confirmed their strong commitment to implementing” their trade deal.

Deals with other countries are the same. Rare earth deals with the Saudis, which have very little compared to other countries, and refining is non existent.

 

He proabably soon will brag about a rare earth deal with Cambodia lol

5 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Trump offered the prime minister signed golf hats reading “JAPAN IS BACK” in gold text.

 

LOL, offering golf hats to a PM of a civilized country, and one that doesn't play golf either. A 5 year old child would do that........or a mentally challenged President

4 hours ago, phetphet said:

There's no shortage of rare earths. It's the shortage of rare earth processing facilities and technology that is the problem.

 

China has had years of development to get ahead, plus with solar, hydroelectric and cheap Russian oil, there power cost per unit cannot be undercut by anyone at the moment.  This will soon be obvious with the cost of running massive data centres for AI. How wil the US compete?

Other countries would like to process rare earths but they are an environmental disaster to process using lots of nasty stuff in the process, if an country said they would build a plant to prosses rare earths the environmentalists would soon try and stop them ,it could take years of court cases on both sides before a spade has even touched the ground, then a lot more years before any rare earths are processed .and  with the cost it would need some government help.

China has the monopoly as they are not bothered about safety or the environment, and will have, for the foreseeable future,  70% of the market.

Some troll posts and replies discussing other members and the ignore function have been removed.  Please discuss the topic, not other members. 

3 minutes ago, kickstart said:

China has the monopoly as they are not bothered about safety or the environment, and will have, for the foreseeable future,  70% of the market.

 

And the only one who doesn't realize that is a clown in the US.

I wouldn't be surprised if China throws the ball back at him, and says, since you now have made so many rare earth deals worldwide, you don't need ours anymore.

1 minute ago, CallumWK said:

 

And the only one who doesn't realize that is a clown in the US.

I wouldn't be surprised if China throws the ball back at him, and says, since you now have made so many rare earth deals worldwide, you don't need ours anymore.

We might find out in the next few days when Trump and Xi meet, he is on a high at the moment  is M T ,let;s see if Xi can talk some sense to him,or will it be a Trump/Putin type of meeting, no result.

And OZ