The global trade architecture and the rush for critical minerals
Introduction
The global rush for critical minerals, driven by the demand for renewable
energy technologies, has intensified competition among major powers
seeking to secure control over emerging “green” value chains. In their bid
to reduce their dependence on China and capture greater value within their
own markets, advanced economies such as the US and the EU are pressuring
poorer but resource-rich countries into trade deals that enable large-scale
mineral extraction and export.
The upcoming 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference and the
14th World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference are expected to tackle
issues on critical minerals and the intersection of climate and trade policies.
This policy brief contributes to that discussion by examining how Northern-
led trade regimes, increasingly framed as strategic partnerships, enable large-
scale extraction of critical minerals from the Global South under the guise
of advancing a “green” or “just” transition. It also presents policy options to
promote more equitable, sustainable, and development-oriented approaches
to trade and resource governance.
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