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Donald Trump and Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi signed a framework agreement for “securing” supplies of critical minerals and rare earths on Tuesday. The agreement was signed during the US president’s visit to Tokyo, part of his wider Asia trip, as both countries look to strengthen their rare earth supply chains and to wean reliance off China’s chokehold on the materials. Mr Trump lavished praise on Japan’s first female leader, as he welcomed the deals between the two countries on critical minerals and trade. “It’s a very strong handshake,” Mr Trump said, as the pair posed for photos at the Akasaka Palace in downtown Tokyo. “Everything I know from Shinzo and others, you will be one of the great prime ministers. I’d also like to congratulate you on being the first woman prime minister. It’s a big deal.” The US and Japan plan to cooperate through the use of economic policy tools and coordinated investment to accelerate development of diversified, liquid and fair markets for critical minerals and rare earths, a White House statement said. China processes more than 90pc of the world’s rare earths and has recently expanded export curbs, including new elements on its control list, and tightened oversight of foreign producers that rely on Chinese materials. The US has just one operational rare earth mine and is racing to secure minerals vital for electric vehicles, defence systems and advanced manufacturing. Mr Trump plans to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Japan’s new prime minister is also expected to offer a package of US investments under a $550-billion deal agreed this year, including shipbuilding and increased purchases of US soybeans, natural gas and pickup trucks, sources familiar with the talk said. Another Nobel Prize recommendation Ms Takaichi, a close ally of Mr Trump’s friend and golfing partner late Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, also said she would nominate Mr Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters. “In such a short period of time the world started to enjoy more peace,” Ms Takaichi told reporters through an interpreter on Tuesday. “I myself was so impressed and inspired by you Mr President.” Ms Takaichi gifted Mr Trump Abe’s putter, a golf bag signed by Japanese major winner Hideki Matsuyama and a gold leaf golf ball, according to photos posted on X. Abe was assassinated in 2022, with the trial of his assailant coincidentally beginning in the western city of Nara on Tuesday. Mr Trump and Ms Takaichi will later visit the US naval base in Yokosuka near Tokyo, which is home to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of the US military’s powerful presence in the region. Mr Trump will then meet business leaders in Tokyo, before travelling on Wednesday to South Korea. In talks there with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the US president said he hopes to seal a trade war truce between the world’s two biggest economies.
