India Invited to G7 Finance Talks on Critical Minerals Supply Chains
India has been invited by the United States to take part in a meeting of G7 finance ministers focused on securing supplies of critical minerals, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday. Speaking to Reuters, Bessent said he was not yet aware whether India had accepted the invitation, adding that it was unclear which other non-G7 countries had also been asked to participate.
The United States is hosting the G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Washington on January 12, with discussions centered on reducing reliance on China-dominated supply chains for key minerals. Bessent said he had pushed for a dedicated discussion on critical minerals since the G7 leaders’ summit last summer, noting that finance ministers had already held a virtual meeting on the issue in December.
The talks come amid growing concern in Western economies over strategic vulnerabilities linked to China’s dominance in refining minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earths, which are vital for defence, semiconductors, renewable energy and batteries. Efforts to diversify supply sources have intensified following tighter Chinese export controls, although Bessent said Beijing continues to meet its commitments to supply minerals to US firms.
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