"We are going to be rolling out a plan [on] improving joint access to rare earths," the senior US official told reporters in a conference call.
The announcement came two days after the Australian government published a new report identifying 15 rare earth and critical mineral projects it plans to develop with the United States in a bid to challenge China’s domination of the global market in them.
The United States and Australia "share a concern about making sure our supply of minerals and rare earths are secure… [and] that the global supply of rare earths are stable and secure. That is going to be an important outcome" of Morrison’s visit, the official said.
Australia stands shoulder to shoulder with the United States in defence and intelligence cooperation, the official added.