Finance
Us, EU Announce Action Plan to Coordinate Trade Policies on Critical Minerals
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 24, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 24, 2026
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The United States and the European Union unveiled an action plan on April 24, 2026 to synchronize trade policy on critical minerals, including tools like border‑adjusted price floors, as a step toward a binding plurilateral agreement to bolster supply‑chain resilience and reduce reliance on China.
US, EU Announce Coordinated Trade Policies on Critical Minerals Supply Chains
Coordinated Action Plan for Critical Minerals Supply Chains
By Andrea Shalal
Release of the US-EU Action Plan
WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - The United States and European Union on Friday released an action plan to coordinate trade policies and measures on critical minerals supply chains, with a view to concluding a binding plurilateral agreement at a future date.
Context: Addressing China's Dominance
The plan does not specifically mention China but comes as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to work with Western allies to loosen China's grip on materials crucial to advanced manufacturing.
China's Leverage in Mineral Processing
China has used its chokehold on the processing of many minerals as geo-economic leverage, at times curbing exports, suppressing prices and undercutting other countries' ability to diversify sources of the materials used to make semiconductors, electric vehicles and advanced weapons.
Statements from US and EU Officials
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who is slated to meet later on Friday with EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, said the U.S. and EU shared a commitment to "addressing the non-market policies and practices that have distorted critical minerals supply chains."
Potential Trade Measures
He said Washington and Brussels would explore how trade measures, such as border-adjusted price floors, could strengthen domestic critical minerals industries and downstream sectors critical to industrial competitiveness.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal)
Key Takeaways
- •The U.S. and EU released a coordinated action plan on April 24, 2026 to strengthen critical minerals trade policy, aiming to eventually form a binding plurilateral agreement. (ustr.gov)
- •The plan includes exploring measures such as border‑adjusted price floors and other trade tools to support domestic and allied supply chains. (ustr.gov)
- •This initiative is part of a broader, multi‑partner strategy—also involving Japan—to mitigate China’s dominance in critical‑minerals processing and diversify global supply resilience. (ustr.gov)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about US, EU announce action plan to coordinate trade policies on critical minerals
1What did the US and EU announce regarding critical minerals?
The US and EU released an action plan to coordinate trade policies and measures on critical minerals supply chains.
2What is the goal of the US-EU action plan on critical minerals?
The goal is to coordinate policies and eventually conclude a binding plurilateral agreement on critical minerals trade.
3Does the action plan mention China?
The action plan does not mention China specifically, but it is part of efforts to address China’s dominance in critical minerals.
4What trade measures are the US and EU considering?
They are exploring trade measures such as border-adjusted price floors to strengthen their domestic critical minerals sectors.
5Why are the US and EU focusing on critical minerals supply chains?
They aim to reduce reliance on China and secure materials vital for semiconductors, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing.
