Mexico and the United States will work on a joint action plan regarding critical minerals – cobalt, copper,
fluorite, gallium, magnesium, and others – with the goal of ensuring the supply of essential inputs for various key sectors of industry, reported Marcelo Ebrard, head of the Ministry of Economy (SE) .

The federal official noted that this will be carried out through binational cooperation , and within a framework of respect and adherence to the legislation of both countries.

“We want to ensure the supply of important minerals to our industry. Since we are highly integrated with the United States, we need to support each other,” Ebrard explained.

In this regard, the Ministry of Economy indicated that Mexico and its northern neighbor will work to achieve a new paradigm for preferential trade in critical minerals, supported by minimum prices . The goal is to ensure the mutual resilience of supply chains .

The work plan on critical minerals was developed within the framework of talks with Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative , aimed at reviewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) .

On January 28, Ebrard and Greer held a meeting in which they discussed a series of potential reforms to the trade agreement, including  stricter rules of origin for key industrial goods . They also agreed to continue their collaboration on critical minerals .

For his part, Jamieson Greer announced on February 4 the promulgation of the Action Plan with Mexico on Critical Minerals , which, he stressed, is the first project of its kind.

In a statement, he elaborated that this plan represents an important step to strengthen bilateral cooperation and increase supply chain resilience with like-minded partners, as the joint review of the USMCA approaches.

According to the agreement, Mexico and the United States will discuss the feasibility and development of coordinated trade policies and mechanisms, including adjusted minimum border prices for imports of critical minerals.

The plan includes regulations for the extraction, processing, and trade of these minerals . It also outlines technical and regulatory cooperation , as well as research and development of new technologies in this area, among other aspects.

Mexico and the United States, the statement indicated, will give priority to financing and other regulatory support measures for mining, processing and manufacturing projects for critical minerals of mutual interest in the United States, Mexico or third countries.

According to the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), critical minerals are raw materials—minerals and metals—necessary to generate renewable energy, produce technologies, and facilitate sustainable transformation.

According to the organization, critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium, and graphite are used in the manufacture of electric vehicles and mobile, digital devices, as well as information technologies, hence the importance of maintaining an action plan on these types of materials.

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