# US president Donald Trump and newly elected Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi have signed an agreement on securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths. Trump is on the second leg of his Asia tour. The objective of the agreement is to assist both countries in achieving resilience and security of critical minerals and rare earths supply chains. America has been racing to diversify its supply of critical minerals to reduce its reliance on China, which holds a near-monopoly in the processing of critical minerals.
US and Japan sign a minerals and rare earths framework agreement