Treasury Secretary Bessent to Host Expanded G7 Meeting on Critical Minerals

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Australia and several other countries will join a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies that he is hosting in Washington on Monday, with discussions focused on critical minerals.

Bessent said he has been pushing for a dedicated forum on critical minerals since last summer’s G7 leaders’ summit, arguing that the issue has become increasingly central to economic security, supply chain resilience and the global energy transition.

The upcoming meeting will expand beyond the traditional G7 membership, reflecting growing concern among advanced economies about access to minerals essential for technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and advanced manufacturing.

Finance ministers have already begun coordinating on the topic. Bessent noted that the group held a virtual meeting in December to begin aligning priorities and sharing information ahead of the in-person talks in Washington.

Treasury officials said the discussions are expected to cover strategies for securing supply chains, reducing reliance on adversarial sources, and encouraging responsible mining, processing and investment in critical minerals among allied nations.

By: Politics406 staff