Reducing Strategic Dependencies: Transatlantic Cooperation on Critical Minerals

Critical minerals have become a key factor for economic security and technological innovation. While they are not rare, China dominates much of their extraction and processing. To reduce this strategic dependency, the United States and Europe are working to build resilient supply chains. International initiatives, such as the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting in Washington, DC, in February, underscore this political commitment. How quickly can the proposed partnership on critical minerals reduce the dependence on China? Can critical minerals sourced outside of China remain competitive in terms of price?

Together with Consul General Scott Woodard, we will discuss strategies to reduce dependence on China for critical minerals. Woodard has been serving as Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg since August 2025. Prior to this role, he worked at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Competitiveness and Supply Chains, focusing on strengthening resilient energy and mineral supply chains. A career member of the U.S. Foreign Service since 2002, he has previously served at U.S. embassies and consulates in Manama, Vilnius, Chennai, Bern, and Munich.