The United States seeks to strengthen mineral supply chains with eight allies including Japan and South Korea

Jacob Helberg, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State responsible for economic affairs, stated that the U.S. will seek to reach agreements with eight allies to strengthen the supply chain of critical minerals needed for computer chips and AI technology. Currently, the AI field has entered a competition between the U.S. and China, and the U.S. hopes to maintain a positive and stable relationship with China while also being prepared for competition.

He mentioned that on December 12, the U.S. will hold meetings at the White House with officials from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia, hoping to reach agreements in areas such as energy, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and transportation logistics. The U.S. aims to reach agreements with these countries because they are home to some of the most important semiconductor companies and possess significant mineral resources