The ministerial was convened in Washington, D.C. on February 4, 2026 and had delegations from 54 countries and the European Commission in attendance.
Source summary
The State Department held a press briefing with Assistant Secretary Caleb Orr to discuss outcomes of the Critical Minerals Ministerial held in
Washington,
D.C., on February 4, 2026. The
U.S. and partners launched the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), signed bilateral framework agreements with
Argentina,
Ecuador, Paraguay and
Peru, and announced joint projects totaling over $30 billion to bolster mining, processing and recycling across the
Americas. The U.S. highlighted DFC financing for
Brazilian projects, interest in building processing capacity regionally, a proposed price-floor mechanism (led by USTR), and emphasized diversification and high standards rather than targeting specific countries.