Milei allies to promote rare earth mining in Congress

President Javier Milei’s government is seeking to install a new political and economic agenda around the exploitation of rare earth minerals, as Argentina looks to position itself within a global race for the critical resources increasingly tied to energy, technology and geopolitics.

Silvana Giudici, a lawmaker from Milei’s ruling La Libertad Avanza party, will host a seminar in Congress on Thursday focused on the strategic value of rare earths and their potential role in Argentina’s mining future.

The initiative comes as Milei deepens ties with US President Donald Trump and strengthens his alignment with Washington, which has been seeking secure supplies of critical minerals as part of its efforts to challenge China’s dominance over the sector.

Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno attended talks in Washington earlier this year on critical minerals supply chains, part of a broader US push to secure access to strategic resources outside China.

Rare earths are a group of 17 metallic elements used in products ranging from electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines to smartphones, military equipment and advanced electronics. 

Despite their name, the minerals are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust, but are notoriously difficult and expensive to extract and process.

They are generally found mixed with sands, clays or rocks alongside other compounds and require complex separation and refining techniques that only a handful of countries currently dominate.

China controls much of the world’s rare earth refining capacity and supply chain, making the sector increasingly important in the growing strategic rivalry between Beijing and Washington.

Argentina has identified deposits of rare earth-related minerals in several provinces, though commercial production remains virtually non-existent. The country has little presence in the global market beyond its rapidly expanding lithium sector.

According to promotional material, Thursday’s seminar will examine how rare earth mining could be incorporated into Milei’s RIGI incentive regime for large investments while promoting a “sustainable, sovereign and innovative” approach capable of transforming Argentina’s geological potential into a source of productivity and employment.

Speakers will include mining officials, lawmakers, scientists and energy specialists.

– TIMES/PERFIL