Japan, US, Australia and India to Strengthen Cooperation Over Rare Earths

Japan, the US, Australia, and India carry out new cooperation, aiming at stabilizing the supply of rare earths, cobalt and other rare metals. Cooperation among the four countries known as the "Quad" was confirmed in intergovernmental talks at the end of last year, according to a report by Japanese media.

Meanwhile, China, which provides a large share of rare earths, announced a draft regulation that would tighten its control of this commodity. In view of threats from China, the Quad countries have promoted ongoing cooperation in various arenas including defense. They now intend to expand this cooperation to the field of resource security.

According to reports, Japan, the United States, Australia and India have been promoting cooperation in areas such as defense, and now intends to expand the scope of cooperation to the field of resource security.

The four countries held director-level talks via video conference to discuss the rare metals supply chain. The four countries will consider cooperating to establish a supply chain that is less dependent on China.

China dominates a large share of the production of rare earths, which are used in high-performance motors for electric vehicles and wind turbines, among other technology. Aside from rare earths, China also holds a more than 60% share globally in the refining of cobalt, which is essential for the manufacture of storage batteries for electric vehicles.

According to the report, as the global movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions accelerates, the demand for rare metals needed to manufacture storage batteries is expected to increase. The US President Biden has directed that the US rejoin the Paris Agreement, an international framework to address global warming, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has declared that Japan will aim for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. As such, rare metals will serve as a lifeline for the two countries to achieve national goals.

This recent agreement on cooperation between Japan, the U.S., Australia, and India was made along these same lines. A Japanese government official commented, "The battle for supremacy has already begun and will determine who will take the lead in the field of renewable energy."

The report believes that if the demand for rare metals surges, China, which controls the production of rare metals, is likely to expand its influence. This is why Japan, the US, Australia and India set out to strengthen cooperation on rare earths and other rare metals.

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