Italy and United States sign critical-minerals supply-chain memorandum
Italy and the United States have signed a memorandum in New York to strengthen critical-mineral supply chains. A bilateral technical working group will coordinate information exchange and investment in extraction, processing and recycling, while also examining raw-material pricing.
Bilateral agreement signed in New York
Italy and the United States signed a memorandum on critical-mineral cooperation in New York on 21 September 2026, seeking to improve the security of supplies needed by industrial and technology companies. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the document. Rubio described Italy as a major US partner, while Tajani called the agreement an important step and linked it to Italy’s industrial policy.
Sky TG24 reports that Tajani identified raw-material prices as a crucial issue for Italian industry. He said Italy wants to guarantee supplies for its companies and argued that China currently holds a dominant position in the market. The agreement is intended to support the creation of an alternative market capable of making Italian products more competitive. Tajani also noted that Italy had signed a separate agreement with Argentina 10 days earlier.
Working group to target investment and recycling
The memorandum establishes an Italy-US technical working group responsible for turning the political commitment into operational cooperation. According to Sky TG24 and Notizie.it, its work will include exchanging information and expertise and mobilising public and private resources for investment in mining, mineral processing and recycling. Italy is expected to contribute particular expertise in recycling, including projects for the recovery and reuse of rare materials.
The agreement also calls for cooperation with international partners on fairer pricing mechanisms for critical raw materials. The stated objective is to reduce exposure to market fluctuations, improve investment conditions and limit dependence on external suppliers. These provisions could be relevant to miners, processors and manufacturers because pricing rules and public support can determine whether alternative projects are commercially viable against established suppliers.
The two countries also envisage deeper technology exchange and joint research involving semiconductors, artificial intelligence and clean energy. Pilot projects are expected to address material recovery and reuse. Notizie.it cites observers who estimate that the cooperation could raise Italy’s domestic supply capacity by 15-20% over the medium term, although the reports provide no methodology or baseline for that projection.
Accord builds on wider alliances
The publications describe the agreement’s institutional context differently. Notizie.it presents it as a new bilateral memorandum and says Italy joined PAX Silica on 31 July. Sky TG24 calls the New York document the Italian-US PAX Silica memorandum and says the signature completed a process following Italy’s formal accession in Brindisi on that date. Sky TG24 reports that Australia, South Korea, Finland, Germany, Japan, Greece, India, the United Kingdom and Sweden are among the other participants in the initiative.
The bilateral framework follows Tajani’s participation in the February launch of FORGE, the US initiative focused on critical-resource security. It is also designed to complement an EU-US agreement signed in April and align with the G7 alliance promoting resilient supply chains and greater production capacity for critical minerals. For industrial buyers, the immediate result is a new coordination mechanism rather than additional physical supply. Its longer-term impact will depend on whether the working group converts information sharing and policy support into financed extraction, processing and recycling projects.
