U.S. launches FORGE initiative, cites strategic stockpile and permitting reform to diversify critical‑minerals supply
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Summary
At a press briefing opening the Critical Minerals Ministerial, Secretary Rubio said the U.S. launched the FORGE initiative, touted a recently announced presidential strategic stockpile and emphasized permitting reform to spur domestic production and attract private investment.
Secretary Rubio opened the Critical Minerals Ministerial saying the meeting was "off to a a great start" and that the United States expects 55 partner countries to collaborate on securing reliable supply chains for critical minerals. "We have 55 partners that we're hoping to enter into collaboration with," he said.
Rubio described the ministerial's first session as the launch of the FORGE initiative, a forum the U.S. will use to coordinate international action on mining, processing and resilient supply chains: "That that was our first session was the launching of this FORGE initiative." He said governments will also showcase financing tools and programs intended to spur private investment.
The secretary highlighted domestic steps the administration is taking to make supply chains viable, including permitting reforms and what he described as a presidential announcement the previous day establishing "a strategic stockpile of critical minerals." Rubio framed those moves as demand‑creating measures designed to protect private investment and make mining and processing economically feasible in a competitive global market.
Rubio previewed additional sessions later in the day, including a Trade Representative presentation on a price‑floor mechanism and briefings from the Department of Energy, the Development Finance Corporation and export finance bodies. He said Treasury Secretary Bessent would close the ministerial and that the United States planned to sign new critical‑minerals frameworks with partners later in the day.
Why it matters: Rubio framed the initiative as a response to what he described as an unhealthy concentration of processing and refining capacity in "the hands of 1 country," a setup he said could be used as geopolitical leverage or leave global supply chains vulnerable to disruption. The FORGE launch and the stockpile are intended to diversify sourcing and encourage private‑sector participation in mining and processing.
Rubio closed by thanking partners and noting European Union participation; he then moved to a question‑and‑answer period, saying the day's work would continue with multiple sessions and planned signings.