Washington G7 meeting and the price threshold on critical minerals: The U.S. is fundamentally reshaping industry market rules

On January 12, 2026, in Washington, the G7 finance ministers, at the initiative of the US Treasury, held an extraordinary meeting on the critical minerals market and supply chain resilience, including discussion of a mechanism for coordinated price minimums for rare earth elements as a tool to reduce risks and neutralize price manipulations.

The G7's transition to agreed minimum prices on critical minerals reflects the realization that traditional markets, where competition is supposed to regulate prices, are no longer capable of ensuring reliable supplies of strategic materials for technological and defense sectors, which becomes a critical factor in national security.

Setting price "floors" transforms investments in the mining sector into a predictable economic asset, stimulating capital investments in lithium, nickel, copper, and rare earth metals in G7 countries and allies, while minimizing risks of losing technological sovereignty through supply disruptions.