26 October 2025 – Kuala Lumpur. The agreement aims to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the exploration, processing, recycling, and trade of critical minerals.
Under the agreement, the participants plan to strengthen Thailand’s integration into global critical minerals supply chains through technology transfer, investment facilitation, and transparent market practices. Increasing local value addition and processing capacity, as well as reducing raw material exports in favor of domestic industry, are also key priorities.
The participants intend to develop cooperation in the following areas:
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Sharing geological data and transferring technical expertise,
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Priority participation in investment projects,
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Good governance, streamlining permitting processes, and fair-trade principles,
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High-standard pricing and transparency mechanisms in critical minerals markets,
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Capacity building, training, and technology sharing.
The MoU is a non-legally binding framework for cooperation. The participants will hold regular meetings and technical working groups to implement the agreement. Cooperation will be carried out in accordance with existing laws and budgetary availability.
The US administration views this step as part of a broader strategy to counter China’s dominance in global rare earth element supply. Thailand, on the other hand, gains a strategic opportunity to develop regional mineral resources and integrate into high value-added production chains.
The agreement was announced on the same day as a similar “critical minerals cooperation MoU” signed with Malaysia during the US Asia tour, representing a significant diplomatic step by Washington to expand its supply security network in Southeast Asia.
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