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OVERVIEW
Used in everything from consumer electronics to clean tech to advanced military hardware, critical minerals and rare earths are building blocks of the modern economy—and are essential to the global energy transition and national security. But with China’s established processing dominance and recent export curbs, the precarity of the Western world’s supply of these fundamental inputs has finally struck home.
In response, Western nations have embarked on a major push to secure their critical minerals and rare earths supply chains. Yet their complexity, and the advanced processing capabilities involved, pose significant challenges for even the largest, most advanced economies. At this critical junction, coordinated cross‑sectoral efforts and collaboration between like‑minded countries are essential.
This live, in-person event in New York City on October 16th will examine the critical role North America is playing in enabling a robust critical minerals and rare earths supply chain for Western nations as part of an integrated energy security and resource strategy.
Structure + Audience
- 3/4 day event followed by a networking reception hosted at Clifford Chance
- 100 attendees, including leaders from mining companies, financial services, government, professional services firms.
- A program comprised of panel discussions, fireside chats and presentations on the themes outlined above.
Our Sponsors
Program
Panel 1 | The State of Affairs: North America’s Critical Minerals Ecosystem in 2025
- The geopolitics highlighting the need for a secure, reliable supply chain, and how the U.S. can work with partner nations to achieve that goal.
- How AI and new technologies are placing further stress on the supply chain while creating opportunities for growth.
- Sources of capital and how that capital is being allocated to address the critical minerals challenge.
SPEAKERS COMING SOON
Panel 2 | The New Strategic Imperative: Securing a Strong, Reliable Supply Chain
- Supply and demand: A look at North America’s known and projected reserves.
- Friendly trading partnerships and their role in mitigating reliance on strategic competitors such as China.
- Supply chain vulnerabilities and the need to ensure that raw materials and finished goods meet demand.
- China’s national strategy: Risks and lessons from the world’s dominant player.
Fireside Chat | The Canadian Context: Consultation and Collaboration with Canada's First Nations
An explainer on the rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada, the consultation process, and what collaborative development with First Nations can look like.
SPEAKERS COMING SOON
Panel 3 | Two Sides of the Same Coin: TECHNOLOGY as a Catalyst for Change
- How AI and new technologies are driving demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements.
- How AI is being used to identify unconventional deposits, optimize supply chains, and support pricing.
- How unconventional deposits and circular processes can help limit our dependence on foreign players.
SPEAKERS COMING SOON
Panel 4 | Matching Capital with Opportunity: How Free-Market Economies Can Support National Strategic Priorities
- Drivers + trends in financing resource extraction and the broader supply chain in North America’s critical minerals ecosystem.
- Tax credits and government investment: The policies and programs shaping the sector now and in the future.
- The nascent market context: How investors and manufacturers can make sound investment decisions in a context of price opacity and ongoing uncertainty on the direction of the sector.
SPEAKERS COMING SOON