US, EU Sign Preliminary Partnership Deal on Critical Minerals

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that a concentrated mineral supply posed an ‘unacceptable risk’ to the West.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic sign a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership on critical minerals at the State Department in Washington on April 24, 2026. Annabelle Gordon/AFP via Getty Images

The United States and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding ​on April 24 for a partnership on critical minerals.

While the plan does not ​specifically mention China, it comes as part ⁠of a broader push by the Trump ​administration to work with Western allies to ​loosen the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) grip on critical materials.