Donald Trump’s critical minerals Tsar Joshua Kroon assures Australian mining bosses US alliance remains strong

A senior Trump administration official has told Australia’s mining sector that critical minerals will become one of the central pillars of the US alliance as both nations work together to end their reliance on supply from China. The West Australian can reveal Donald Trump’s hand-picked critical minerals tsar Joshua Kroon has also met with Resources Minister Madeline King and highlighted the need for “sustained investment in exploration, mining, processing, and refining” in the sector. In a speech to the Minerals Council of Australia last week, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Commerce praised this country for bringing “extraordinary mineral resources and world-class mining expertise” to joint efforts. “Our countries have long been security allies and economic partners. But over the past several years, our cooperation has taken on an even greater strategic dimension: building resilient, allied supply chains for critical minerals.” “These materials — rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, gallium, and others — are foundational to modern industry,” the official told a Canberra audience during his second official visit to Australia. “They support advanced manufacturing, aerospace systems, semiconductors, telecommunications infrastructure, and the defence technologies that underpin national security.” “Demand for strategic minerals is expected to grow substantially across sectors such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace, semiconductors, and defence technologies,” the Deputy Assistant Secretary added. Speaking just days before President Trump publicly criticised the Albanese government for failing to adequately support his war in Iran, Mr Kroon heaped praise on the long-standing alliance. “The United States and Australia have always stood together as allies. In the years ahead, our cooperation in critical minerals will become one of the central pillars of that alliance.” Mr Kroon’s appearance at the Minerals Week conference was his second visit to Australia since President Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical minerals framework at the White House in October. Under the agreement both sides agreed to pour $1.5 billion ($US1 billion) into priority critical minerals projects within six months, which Mr Kroon described as “one of the most important bilateral mineral partnerships anywhere in the world”. The visiting Trump administration official said the US Export-Import Bank had issued multiple Letters of Interest supporting critical minerals projects across allied countries, including in Australia. “They demonstrate that the United States government is prepared to support large-scale investment in strategic mineral supply chains—particularly where those projects strengthen allied industrial capacity and diversify global supply.” To emphasise progress in the partnership with Australia, Mr Kroon highlighted Alcoa’s gallium recovery project in Western Australia, one of two initial initiatives to receive financial commitments under the framework signed at the White House last year. “Gallium is a critical input for advanced semiconductors, radar systems, and a range of high-performance electronics. Today, the global supply of gallium is highly concentrated,” Mr Kroon said. “It is also an excellent example of how innovation in existing industrial processes can unlock new sources of strategic materials.” “Rather than relying solely on new mining activity, projects like this leverage existing industrial infrastructure to strengthen supply chains in a faster and more capital-efficient way.”