The G7 just drew a line in the sand on critical minerals. During the summit in Kananaskis, Canada, leaders unveiled the Critical Minerals Action Plan, a coordinated effort to ensure no single country supplies more than 60% of any member nation’s critical mineral imports.
China currently commands over 60% of the global market for key minerals like rare earths, lithium, and cobalt processing. The G7 is trying to build an insurance policy against the world’s most dominant mineral supplier.
What the plan actually does
The Action Plan, launched on June 17, 2025, builds on the Five-Point Plan for Critical Minerals Security that G7 nations introduced in 2023. It focuses on three pillars: diversifying supply chains, investing in responsible production, and ensuring traceability of critical minerals from mine to manufacturer.
The approach leans more toward standards and market incentives than hard quotas. A Roadmap to Promote Standards-based Markets is expected in October 2025, which will outline the specific mechanisms for achieving these diversification goals.
