SANTIAGO, Chile, March 13 (UPI) -- The United States and Chile have signed a declaration to establish consultations on critical minerals and rare earths, with the aim of strengthening cooperation in supply chains and promoting essential investments between the two countries.
The signing took place Thursday during a bilateral meeting between newly sworn-in Chilean President José Antonio Kast and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
Chile is the world's largest producer of copper, third-largest producer of lithium and fifth-largest producer of solver.
"The development of Chile's mining sector is obviously a major issue for Chileans. You will decide what the future of your sector will be, but I believe there is much that the United States and Chile can do together to strengthen the supply chains of those minerals that are so critical for the entire global economy, but it must obviously be for the benefit of the people of Chile," Landau said after the meeting.
Amid geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, President Donald Trump's administration seeks to lay the groundwork for mutual support in the supply of key minerals for national security and commercial industries and the production of advanced technologies, including copper, silver, cobalt and lithium.
