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Australia aims to be key supplier for Western allies'

supply

chain

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Trip comes as US builds up domestic defence, battery

industries

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Delegation will not include Australia's trade or resources

ministers

MELBOURNE, Sept 12 (Reuters) - More than 20 Australian

critical minerals companies including Trafigura unit Nyrstar

will head to the U.S. next week to explore areas for

collaboration, four sources familiar with the matter told

Reuters.

The delegation led by the Australian Trade and Investment

Commission (Austrade) will attend meetings in New York and

Washington with senior officials from the Trump administration.

Although sources described the trip as fairly routine, the

companies will arrive after Australian Prime Minister Anthony

Albanese and President Donald Trump last week spoke about

opportunities for critical minerals companies in both countries

to co-operate more closely.

Australia has requested a meeting with Trump and Albanese

will travel to the United Nations General Assembly in New York

later this month although no meetings have been announced.

Australia is striving to position itself as a key supplier

to Western allies as they build an alternative supply chain to

China while the U.S. is readying to deploy funding to build out

its battery and defence industries.

Reuters reported last month that the Trump administration

was considering a plan to reallocate at least $2 billion from

the CHIPS Act, which supports semiconductor research and chip

factory construction, to fund critical minerals projects.

Nyrstar last month won Australian government support to

assess the possibility of producing four critical minerals

across two aging smelters, including antimony which is used in

ammunition and for which China has limited exports. But Nyrstar

would need more funds to bring that plan into action.

The meetings were described as a chance to better understand

the Trump administration's priorities as well as meet

administration officials and build relationships, with some

attendees angling for funding opportunities.

Among other miners going are Australia's top lithium

producer Pilbara Minerals ( PILBF ) which largely supplies

lithium to China and South Korea, International Graphite

, which is building out processing capabilities from its

Western Australian graphite mine, and Cobalt Blue,

which is developing its Broken Hill cobalt project in New South

Wales.

Spokespeople from Pilbara Minerals ( PILBF ), International Graphite

and Cobalt Blue confirmed that company representatives would be

in attendance next week.

The delegation will not include Australia's Trade Minister

Don Farrell or Resources Minister Madeleine King. The ministers'

offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment on

prospects for major announcements.

Australia already has a critical minerals partnership with

the United States and under legislation passed in late 2023,

Australian mineral deposits qualify as domestic supply for U.S.

defence procurement.

(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)