Critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and neodymium are essential for economic competitiveness and national security. Strategic critical minerals power the backbone of artificial intelligence (AI), advanced manufacturing, and modern defense — from semiconductors for data‑centers to missile guidance and other military systems. In an era of intensifying competition and supply‑chain vulnerability, Canada and Australia are the allies that can make critical‑mineral security attainable. They hold some of the world’s most substantial and strategically important reserves of critical minerals.
The U.S. began stockpiling key minerals in World War II and accelerated in the Cold War as securing supply chains became a strategic imperative. Today, China dominates global processing and production of critical minerals. Rising geopolitical rivalry and the surge of advanced technologies have made securing critical minerals indispensable. The pandemic reminded the world that global supply chains are vulnerable. Geopolitical conflict, extreme weather, climate change – and with mounting frequency energy shocks, cyberattacks, export controls, labor disruptions, and chokepoints in global transport – all threaten to upend supply chains. In the United States, the last administration launched a series of initiatives to strengthen supply chains from expanding domestic production and processing of critical minerals to coordinating across agencies to reduce dependence on vulnerable foreign sources. The Trump administration has built on those efforts, launching initiatives like FORGE and Project Vault. It has also expanded the use of U.S. Export‑Import Bank (EXIM) tools to support strategic supply‑chain projects. The U.S. is also ramping up domestic critical‑mineral production. Strong bipartisan support ensures that supply‑chain resilience programs will continue for years, regardless of who holds office.
Traditional allies remain essential to achieving supply chain resilience. Canada and Australia are not only indispensable partners, but they are also strategic co-architects of the allied minerals ecosystem. Both countries hold extensive, high‑grade deposits of critical minerals and rare earths. Canada and Australia are reliable, trusted partners and can expand production quickly. Both countries are building midstream capacity in refining, separation, and recycling. The United States has several programs and initiatives under Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA) and other frameworks to support the production of critical minerals. These programs provide opportunities for Canadian and Australian companies. Canada has been designated as a domestic source for DPA funding since 1992 allowing Canadian companies to qualify for financial assistance under the Act including grants, loans, and loan guarantees. Amendments to the Defense Production Act have designated Australia as the same.
The U.S. Government has also established a grant program under the Energy Act of 2020 (42USCS § 18743) to finance pilot projects for the processing, recycling, and development of critical minerals and metals. Canadian and Australian companies could qualify provided they meet requirements, such as domestic processing of critical minerals.
U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) has launched programs such as the Supply Chain Resiliency Initiative (SCRI) to finance international projects with long-term off-take contracts with U.S. companies. Canadian and Australian companies can take part provided they meet specific criteria regarding U.S. manufacturing ties. There are also opportunities for investment in the development of critical mineral projects in the United States. The U.S. and Canada have spent years aligning on critical‑mineral development, forging a North American supply chain built for an era of intensifying competition. The U.S. and Australia have also long partnered on critical‑mineral development, forging a trusted supply‑chain base. The 2025 U.S.-Australia Critical Minerals Framework underscores the strategic partnership between the two nations. It provides Australian companies with streamlined access to U.S. financing and support.
In the last administration, I helped lead supply chain diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, organized the first-ever U.S.-led Supply Chain Ministerial in which Canada and Australia participated, and worked on the White House Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to address acute supply-chain shortages. I also led legislative efforts on the Senate Commerce Committee to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities.
My consulting firm, Neil Hill Global Strategies, is affiliated with the Transnational Strategy Group (TSG). I also serve as a Senior Advisor to TSG. Together, Neil Hill Global and TSG are well-positioned to help Canadian and Australian critical minerals companies secure U.S. funding and further integrate into allied supply chains by navigating Defense Production Act and other programs, building Washington contacts, and offering practical support for successful federal applications.
Brian DaRin, TSG’s Senior Advisor for Energy, Infrastructure and Critical Minerals, has decades of experience at the U.S. State Department. He also worked on critical materials issues at the National Security Council and served as co-chair of the Defense Logistic Agency’s Strategic Materials Committee. He worked with Canadian miners in Mongolia in the 1990s.
Matthew McManus, TSG’s Senior Advisor for Energy, Critical Minerals and Cross-Border Energy Trade Regulation, worked on international energy and economic issues at the U.S. State Department for more than three decades. He managed the State Department Presidential Permitting function for cross-border oil pipelines from Canada to the U.S. and engaged frequently in Ottawa and several provincial capitals. He also served as the co-chair of the Market Impact Committee of the National Defense Stockpile, advising on international market impacts of purchases and dispositions of strategic commodities.
Finally, Carson Wynne, TSG’s Calgary-resident Senior Advisor overseeing TSG’s Canadian practice, has extensive experience advising on major Canadian resource development financing. He is currently working closely with senior Government of Canada officials on matters of national defense, U.S.-Canada trade and national energy initiatives.
Neil Hill Global and TSG stand ready to assist Canadian and Australian critical minerals companies to access U.S. support through the Defense Production and other federal programs. It is clear that Canada and Australia are at the strategic core of potential mineral security.
