U.S. Assumes FORGE Chairmanship-But Can Diplomacy Deliver the Critical Minerals Supply Chain the West Needs?

Highlights

• The U.S. took over FORGE chairmanship from South Korea, prioritizing critical mineral supply chain security as a national strategy.
• FORGE must move beyond policy talks to fund separation facilities, metal plants, and magnet factories to address real supply chain bottlenecks.
• Key questions remain about capital commitments, reducing reliance on Chinese midstream processing, and coordination with existing initiatives like the Minerals Security Partnership.
• Success should be measured by new operating mines and manufacturing facilities, not ministerial communiqués or diplomatic agreements.

The United States has officially assumed the chairmanship of the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), succeeding the Republic of Korea and signaling that critical minerals remain at the center of U.S. economic and national security strategy. Launched by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February 2026, FORGE seeks to unite like-minded nations to accelerate secure, diversified, and resilient critical mineral supply chains through coordinated diplomacy and public financing.

Rare Earth Exchanges® welcomes the continued emphasis on allied cooperation but believes the announcement raises several important questions. Will FORGE produce tangible projects or primarily facilitate policy discussions? How much capital will participating governments commit to separation, metals, alloy, and permanent magnet manufacturing—the true bottlenecks of the rare earth supply chain? Can member nations meaningfully reduce dependence on Chinese midstream processing before export controls or future supply disruptions tighten further? And perhaps most importantly, how will FORGE coordinate with existing initiatives such as the Minerals Security Partnership, bilateral agreements, export credit agencies, and national industrial strategies to avoid duplication?

The success of FORGE should ultimately be measured not by communiqués or ministerial meetings, but by new operating mines, separation facilities, metal plants, magnet factories, and diversified commercial supply chains. In today's geopolitical environment, industrial execution—not diplomatic aspiration—will determine whether the West can build a resilient critical minerals ecosystem.

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