U.S., Malaysia and Thailand ink critical minerals pacts to strengthen supply chains

U.S. President Donald Trump attends the ASEAN Summit and poses for a group photo with regional leaders. (Photo: ASEAN)

U.S. President Donald Trump attended the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26, where he signed critical minerals deals with Thailand and Malaysia.

The move aims to diversify rare earth supplies and reduce the impact of China’s tightening export controls, ensuring a stable supply of materials essential for electric vehicle batteries, defense systems, and other advanced technologies.