Australia’s ambition of processing critical minerals is still mostly a dream – and one that won’t persuade Donald Trump to withhold tariffs on Australian exports.
Like Australia, Ukraine, Greenland and the Democratic Republic of Congo are among countries with large supplies of the critical minerals and rare earths that offer an alternative to China’s dangerous dominance of the market.
But unlike Australia, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo are devastated by savage conflict, while Greenland’s deposits are encapsulated in ice and its population opposed to swapping Denmark’s control for that of the US. Even if the minerals are in the ground, there’s no guarantee they will ever be viable to develop at scale.
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Jennifer Hewett is the national affairs columnist. She writes a daily column on politics, business and the economy. Connect with Jennifer on Twitter. Email Jennifer at jennifer.hewett@afr.com
