Highlights

• The 4th Annual Critical Minerals North America Conference (April 23–24, 2026) brings together 300+ attendees, 40 speakers, and 25 exhibitors to address Western dependence on China-dominated supply chains and accelerate investment in strategic minerals for defense, aerospace, and the energy transition.
• The agenda emphasizes that capital markets and processing capacity—not just mining—are the primary bottlenecks, with sessions covering defense supply chains, investment strategies, downstream manufacturing, and circular economy models across the full value chain.
• With 65% U.S. participation, the conference reflects the convergence of national security, industrial policy, and energy transition, positioning critical minerals as strategic infrastructure rather than mere commodities in the race for supply chain sovereignty.

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Rare Earth Exchanges Conference Intelligence Brief

Event: Critical Minerals North America Conference & Exhibition

Date: April 23–24, 2026

Location: New York, NY, United States

Organizer: Spire Events

Official Association Partner: Critical Minerals Association

The 4th Annual Critical Minerals North America Conference & Exhibition (opens in a new tab) convenes mining companies, investors, policymakers, and technology providers to address the rapidly intensifying race for critical mineral supply chains. The event focuses on investment flows, industrial strategy, and the geopolitical importance of minerals essential to aerospace, defense, electronics, and the energy transition.

Approximately 300+ attendees, 40 speakers, and 25 sponsors/exhibitors are expected, with the majority of participants drawn from the United States but with representation from Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia.

Conference Aim and Strategic Focus

The conference positions itself as a market-facing platform for capital formation and supply chain coordination across the critical minerals ecosystem.

Its central objectives include:

1. Reducing Western dependence on China-dominated supply chains
2. Accelerating investment into mining and mineral processing
3. Connecting investors with early-stage and mid-tier projects
4. Strengthening minerals supply for defense, aerospace, and advanced technologies
5. Building new downstream manufacturing capacity

The event deliberately bridges resource extraction with industrial policy, reflecting the reality that minerals like rare earths, lithium, cobalt, and graphite underpin both clean energy and military technologies.

Agenda Themes: What the U.S. Market Is Focused On

The agenda reveals several dominant narratives shaping the North American critical minerals market.

1. National Security and Defense Supply Chains

One of the strongest themes is the connection between critical minerals and defense readiness.

Sessions explore:

• Rare earths in jet engines and advanced alloys
• Strategic minerals for satellite systems and communications
• Supply chain resilience for the aerospace and defense sector

This reflects a growing reality: critical minerals policy is now defense policy.

2. Capital Formation and Mining Finance

A major portion of the conference is devoted to investment strategies and financing mechanisms.

Topics include:

• Private equity and venture capital in mining
• Commodity investment strategies
• M&A and project financing
• Junior miner capital pipelines

This indicates that capital markets—not geology—remain the primary bottleneck for Western mineral development.

3. Supply Chain Security and Geopolitics

Another dominant theme is geopolitical competition.

Discussions focus on:

• U.S. critical minerals policy
• diversification away from Chinese refining capacity
• strategic alliances across the Americas and allied nations

The conference aligns closely with the broader policy push to create a North American critical minerals bloc.

4. Downstream Processing and Circular Supply Chains

One of the most important shifts visible in the agenda is the increasing emphasis on midstream and downstream capabilities.

Topics include:

• refining and mineral processing
• recycling and circular economy models
• battery material supply chains
• downstream manufacturing

This signals recognition that mining alone does not create industrial independence—processing capacity is essential.

5. Technology Innovation in Mining

Technology development also features prominently.

Themes include:

• smart mining systems
• AI and data analytics
• blockchain in mineral traceability
• hydrogen-powered mining operations

The technological conversation highlights how digital transformation is entering the extractive sector.

Supply Chain Coverage: Upstream → Midstream → Downstream

The conference is structured to cover the full critical minerals value chain.

Upstream: Mining and Exploration

Upstream representation includes:

• junior exploration companies
• mid-tier miners
• government geological agencies
• project developers

Speakers associated with this segment include executives from companies such as:

• Horizon Copper Corp
• Empire Metals
• iMetal Resources

These firms focus primarily on resource development and early-stage production.

Midstream: Processing, Refining, and Materials

Midstream participants include:

• mineral processing firms
• engineering consultants
• recycling companies
• metals and materials traders

The conference explicitly highlights processing and refining as a key vulnerability for Western supply chains.

This reflects the broader industry reality that China still dominates rare earth separation and battery metals refining.

Downstream: Industrial Applications

Downstream sectors represented include:

• battery manufacturing
• aerospace and defense
• electronics and semiconductors
• renewable energy technologies
• EV manufacturing

These industries ultimately consume the minerals discussed at the conference.

Speaker Landscape

The speaker lineup reflects a blend of capital markets, policy, and mining leadership.

Notable categories include:

Mining Executives

• Erfan Kazemi — CEO, Horizon Copper
• Shaun Bunn — Managing Director, Empire Metals
• Saf Dhillon — CEO, iMetal Resources

Financial Markets and Investment

• Mike McGlone — Bloomberg Intelligence commodity strategist
• Stuart Macliver — Managing Partner, Amvest Capital
• Chen Lin — Asset Management

Policy and Strategy

• Dr. Gracelin Baskaran — CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change
• David Bryce — Government of Canada Trade Commissioner
• Laura Garcia Cancino — Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

Industry Analysts

• Charl Malan — Metals & Mining Analyst, VanEck
• Grace Asenov — Metals editor, Fastmarkets

This mix reflects the conference’s emphasis on capital flows, policy frameworks, and supply chain economics rather than purely technical mining discussions.

Exhibitors and Industry Segments

Approximately 25 exhibitors and sponsors are expected, spanning the full minerals ecosystem.

Exhibitor categories include:

Upstream

• junior miners
• exploration companies
• mining developers

Midstream

• mineral processors
• recycling firms
• engineering consultants

Downstream

• EV supply chain firms
• battery material companies
• renewable energy technology providers

Enabling Technologies

• smart mining technologies
• digital transformation solutions
• AI and data platforms

This segmentation highlights a central theme: the conference is not just about mining—it is about building a vertically integrated minerals ecosystem.

Geographic Representation

Participants come primarily from:

• United States – 65%
• Americas – 15%
• Europe – 5%
• Asia & Middle East – 5%
• Africa – 5%
• Australia – 5%

The dominance of U.S. participation reflects the growing domestic policy push to rebuild strategic mineral supply chains.

Strategic Takeaways

The Critical Minerals North America Conference highlights several emerging realities shaping the sector.

First, capital markets are becoming the decisive force in mineral development. Exploration alone is no longer enough—projects must attract institutional capital and long-term strategic partners.

Second, the conference signals a growing awareness that processing and refining capacity will determine supply chain sovereignty. Mining without midstream capabilities simply exports strategic value abroad.

Finally, the event underscores the convergence of energy transition, national security, and industrial policy. Rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt, and other minerals are now viewed not merely as commodities but as strategic infrastructure.

Why This Event Matters

Events like Critical Minerals North America illustrate the formation of a new industrial coalition linking miners, investors, policymakers, and advanced manufacturing sectors. The future of the critical minerals economy will not be decided solely in mines. It will be determined in capital markets, refining facilities, and magnet factories.

Conferences such as this provide a window into where those decisions—and investments—are heading next.