Geopolitics of Critical Minerals: Power, Policy, and Supply Security

The geopolitics of critical minerals has emerged as one of the defining strategic challenges of the twenty-first century. As the world transitions away from fossil fuels and toward electrified, digital economies, the raw materials underpinning that shift have become instruments of statecraft. Governments are no longer content to let markets alone determine who mines, processes, and supplies the minerals that power advanced technologies. Instead, nations are deploying export controls, industrial subsidies, diplomatic partnerships, and strategic stockpiles to secure their positions in an increasingly contested resource landscape.

China's decades-long investment in mineral processing has given it unmatched leverage over supply chains for rare earths, lithium, cobalt, graphite, gallium, and germanium. Beijing has demonstrated a willingness to use this dominance as a geopolitical tool, imposing export restrictions that reverberate across global markets. In response, the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, and other nations are pursuing strategies that range from friendshoring and bilateral mineral agreements to domestic recycling mandates and accelerated mine permitting.

At the same time, resource-rich developing nations are asserting greater control over their mineral wealth. Resource nationalism is reshaping the terms of extraction in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Chile, Zimbabwe, and beyond, as governments seek a larger share of the value chain rather than exporting raw ores for others to refine. These dynamics create both risks and opportunities for companies, investors, and policymakers navigating the new mineral order.

This section examines the major geopolitical forces shaping critical mineral supply chains today. From the mechanics of China's processing dominance to the implications of export controls, sanctions regimes, and evolving alliance structures, the articles below provide the context needed to understand how mineral geopolitics will influence the energy transition, industrial competitiveness, and national security for decades to come.