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WA critical to Biden

stimulus success

new administration will not halt the June and it will be a top priority.”
A growing dialogue between the US and Fortunately for Australia – and perhaps
Australia over critical minerals, according the US – WA has an abundance of many
to the US’s most senior diplomat in West- of the metals and materials on interna-
ern Australia. tional critical minerals lists. US capital has
US President Joe Biden has set the been crucial to the Australian mining sec-
course for his presidency in just a few tor for decades and America’s government
months, signing back onto the Paris Cli- and business community will to continue
mate Agreement and launching a $2.7 prioritising the links with Australia, accord-
trillion post-pandemic economic stimulus ing to Gainer. US Consul General Perth David J Gainer
package which is heavy on clean energy “The relationship with Australia is in-
projects and infrastructure. credibly strong and one of the closest we
The policy position is likely to be good have,” he said. commodities, Gainer is delighted to see
news for Australia’s growing battery and Former Australian Federal Resources the local resources sector in such robust
critical minerals-focused miners with the Minister Matt Canavan opened a bilateral state.
US’s options limited if trade and diplomatic dialogue over critical minerals with Donald “It is a great time to be in mining in
tensions with China continue to rise. Trump appointee Secretary of Commerce WA,” he said.
“Key priorities of the new administration Wilbur Ross and despite political changes And, while he is full of praise for Aus-
include clean energy and combatting cli- in both countries, Gainer expects the dia- tralian achievements, he was eager to
mate change,” US Consul-General Perth logue to continue. remind everyone of the role the US has
David J Gainer told Paydirt. “President “That is absolutely true of the new ad- played in developing the sector.
Biden has been quoted as saying: ‘When ministration, evidenced by the calls and “US investment really underpins so
I think climate change I think jobs’. That is meetings we have already seen between much of what we see within the econom-
our focus; growth and employment in hi- our leaders and secretaries and ministers ic growth occurring over the years but
tech jobs as we look to a low-carbon fu- on a variety of levels,” he said. “Ambitious also into the future,” he said. “Deloitte
ture.” targets have been set and we look forward estimates US trade and investment is
As governments and corporations ad- to working with Australians in tackling this worth 7% of GDP and half of that is min-
just to the new push towards net-zero enormous challenge because we can’t do ing and manufacturing related.
economies, there is a growing appre- it alone.” “While we don’t see big US corporate
ciation of the precarious nature of supply The issue of critical minerals has names, there is so much US investment
chains for many crucial commodities, in- been raised on several recent diplomatic here. I think it is because of the stabil-
cluding lithium, nickel, rare earths, cobalt meetings, including at the recent Quad ity and trust US companies feel for their
and tungsten. Currently, China dominates meeting of the US, Australia, India and investments here.”
production of many of these commodities, Japan. Australian mining’s unique skills and
a situation western governments are des- “The Quad is yet another symbol of technological breakthroughs are also
perate to alter. the close cooperation with Australia, In- attracting the attention of other sectors
“Critical minerals and rare earths are dia and Japan,” Gainer said. “We believe with Gainer eager to foster deeper ties in
important for diverse supply chains, make and others believe we need to diversify space technology.
them more resilient and transparent,” supply chains. We have bilateral critical “When I’m asked questions about
Gainer said. “In late February President minerals dialogues with Australia and where WA may be in 30 years I always
Biden signed an executive order for a 100- Canada and are also having deep dis- raise space technologies and we are
day review of supply chains for critical min- cussions with Japan and the EU on the hopeful of deep cooperation in the space
erals and rare earths and advanced bat- issue.” sector,” he said. “It seems to make sense
teries. The review should be completed by With Australia’s vast reserves of key that it is an arena for deeper collabora-
tion. Two years ago we had a team from
NASA visiting Perth and the Pilbara, part
The Biden Clean Energy Plan of the Mission to Mars programme.
“These connections go way back –
Target: To ensure the US achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches John Glenn flying over Perth and Aus-
net-zero emissions no later than 2050, via: tralia’s important contribution to the
moon landing.
• Grid-scale storage at one-tenth the cost of lithium-ion batteries “More recently, NASA has given Wood-
• Identifying the future of nuclear energy through small modular nuclear side [Energy Ltd] one of its robonauts to
reactors at half the construction cost of today’s reactors use in exploration and I certainly think
• Refrigeration and air conditioning using refrigerants with no global the hi-tech arena is one we see for co-
warming potential operation with WA well into the future.”
• Using renewables to produce carbon-free hydrogen at the same cost as – Dominic Piper
that from shale gas
• Restoring the full EV tax credit to incentivise purchases

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