EU meets US on critical minerals amid US tariff probe
Mar 20th 2026
EU envoys will thrash out a critical minerals memorandum with the US in Brussels this week as a new US tariff probe on 60 countries fuels tensions over capacity and trust.
- Ambassadors from all 27 EU member states will meet in Brussels this week to negotiate a memorandum on critical minerals with the United States.
- The talks are shaped by a core tension between building domestic capacity and managing trust in international partners.
- US President Donald Trump last week opened a tariff investigation covering 60 economies, including China, the EU and India, citing overcapacity and forced labour.
- EU leaders and officials have publicly expressed deep mistrust of the US ahead of the negotiations.
- Results of the talks could influence supply chains for green technologies and the EU’s industrial strategy.
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