Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand meets with her international counterparts in Washington on Wednesday as the Trump administration makes a case for collaboration to push back on China’s dominance over critical minerals.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hosting representatives from European, African and Asian nations looking for commitments to incentivize investment in critical mineral supply chains.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement announcing the meeting that the gathering “will create momentum for collaboration” among the participants to secure access to rare earths.

The international gathering at the State Department comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday the launch of “Project Vault,” a strategic reserve for rare earth elements.

While the United States does have reserves for defence purposes, the Trump administration said the new reserve would help shield makers of autos, electronics and other goods from supply chain disruptions.

The reserve would be funded initially by a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank and nearly $1.67 billion in private capital.

Ending China’s stranglehold on rare-earth minerals became a key U.S. priority last year after Trump escalated his trade war between the world’s two largest economies by imposing massive tariffs. Beijing responded with retaliatory duties and export restrictions on various critical mineral exports to the U.S., causing anxiety throughout supply chains.

The Trump administration already has signed critical mineral agreements with several countries, including Australia and Japan. Additional bilateral agreements are expected to be signed on Wednesday.

It’s not clear what the Trump administration wants from Canada during Wednesday’s meeting. The meeting’s agenda may include discussions of price floor mechanisms, sustainable production costs and financing tools.

Canadian officials have made collaboration on rare earths a talking point with their counterparts in Washington as they lay the groundwork for a mandatory review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement on trade later this year.

Canada and the U.S. Department of Defense already have a co-investment deal to accelerate Canadian mining development and strengthen critical minerals supply chains.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2026.

— With files from The Associated Press