【SMM Aluminium Flash News】US-Malaysia and US-Thailand Sign MoUs to Boost Critical Mineral Supply Chains

Published: Oct 27, 2025 09:44 (GMT+8)

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On October 26, 2025, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s arrival in Malaysia, the United States signed separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the governments of Malaysia and Thailand on Cooperation to Diversify Global Critical Mineral Supply Chains and Promote Investment. These MoUs aim to promote trade and investment cooperation among the parties in the fields of critical minerals and rare earth elements, covering areas such as exploration, extraction, processing and refining, manufacturing, as well as recycling and recovery. Within the same framework, the United States, Malaysia, and Thailand also expressed their support for the transition towards more efficient and secure markets for critical minerals and rare earths, with the goal of strengthening the security and prosperity of the critical mineral and rare earth supply chains between the US and Southeast Asian states. It is noteworthy that aluminum is included in the United States’ List of Critical Minerals, while Malaysia, under its National Mineral Industry Transformation Plan (2021–2030), identifies bauxite (excluding aluminum) as a strategic mineral. In contrast, Thailand currently does not have a corresponding list of critical minerals.

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