The Foreign Ministry confirmed the accession to the global instrument to reduce mining dependence on China
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Argentina confirmed this Wednesday its accession to the global rare earth coalition promoted by the United States, a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the supply of critical minerals and reducing Western dependence on China's dominance in this key sector. The call was led by the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who brought together representatives from 55 countries.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the country signed the Framework Instrument for the Strengthening of Supply in Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals, through which the signatory nations reaffirm their strategic partnership and their commitment to the development of secure, resilient, and competitive value chains. The agreement aims to create favorable conditions for long-term productive investments and to support the sustained growth of global demand linked to cutting-edge technologies.
Pablo Quirno firmó el acuerdo junto al vicesecretario de Estado, Christopher Landau.
From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials emphasized that this decision represents a concrete opportunity for economic growth. In 2025, thanks to the incentives of the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI), Argentine mining exports reached a record 6.037 billion dollars, which implied year-on-year growth of nearly 30%. In that context, critical minerals such as lithium and copper are consolidating themselves as pillars for the generation of foreign currency, skilled employment, and the development of regional economies.
The official statement also stressed that, within a framework of macroeconomic stability and clear and predictable rules for investment, mining is consolidating itself, together with energy and agribusiness, as one of the central pillars of the ongoing process of economic transformation. Official projections estimate that the country's total exports could reach 100 billion dollars in the next seven years, with a growing share of the mining sector, which could exceed 20 billion and climb to more than 30 billion toward the end of the next decade.
Marco Rubio, secretario de Estado norteamericano.
During the Ministerial Meeting on Critical Minerals held in Washington, Rubio directly linked the stability of these supply chains to the ability of nations to protect their sovereignty and project power in the 21st century. The central objective of the initiative is to limit Chinese control over strategic materials that are essential for industry, infrastructure, and defense.
In that context, the Secretary of State publicly underlined Argentina's role within this global strategy, by pointing out that the country not only has the natural resources needed to become a key partner in critical minerals, but also has differential advantages due to its geology, its strategic location, and the experience accumulated in the sector. For Washington, Argentina has already taken significant steps that position it as a central player in the new global supply map.
Marco Rubio junto al ministro de Economía argentino, Luis Caputo - Imágen de archivo
The official also highlighted that Argentina's belonging to the Western Hemisphere acquires additional strategic value in the context of the dispute with China, which today concentrates a dominant share of the production and processing of these key inputs. From the U.S. perspective, consolidating alliances with reliable countries in the region is essential in order to reduce vulnerabilities, secure supply chains, and strengthen the industrial and technological autonomy of the West.
Argentina's accession is also part of a broader political alignment between the governments of Javier Milei and Donald Trump, which share a strategic vision on security, trade, and defense. In that sense, support for the agreement on critical minerals not only reinforces the alignment with the United States, but also consolidates Argentina as a reliable and relevant partner in the global dispute over the resources that will define the technological and economic development of the coming decades.
