Washington says the Forge initiative is about securing supply chains against shocks and price coercion, not building an exclusive bloc. Beijing has claimed it targets China, but a US official rejected this on Thursday.
US Official Defends Forge Initiative
On Thursday, a senior US official defended Washington’s new critical minerals push in an interview with the South China Morning Post. She described supply chain diversification as a national security measure, not an attempt to form an exclusive bloc as Beijing has claimed.
She sidestepped claims that Forge was aimed at China, which controls nearly 60 per cent of global critical mineral production and 80 per cent of refining. Instead, she framed it as a response to structural vulnerabilities in increasingly mineral-intensive supply chains.
“The focus is truly on diversifying supply chains that will help in the event there’s a disruption, like the pandemic,” Houston said. “These are prudent steps globally … and it’s an important step for national security writ large.”
She added that “by virtue of diversifying global supply chains, we are ensuring that we’re not at risk for these disruptions or price coercion”.
The Forge initiative involves countries including Australia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru, Philippines, Guinea, the European Union, Morocco, Paraguay, Argentina, and Ecuador. Keywords highlight potential partners like Glencore and the Cook Islands.
Critical materials are needed to make everything from defence systems and industrial robotics to washing machines. China’s dominance is facing global pushback, raising concerns over rare earths.
This move underscores supply chain security amid geopolitical tensions, though the US insists on its global and defensive nature. (148 words)