Washington: South Korea will chair the US critical minerals initiative, the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), through June, the State Department announced. FORGE, established as the successor to the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), aims to reshape the global market for critical minerals and rare earths.

According to Anadolu Agency, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the forum will lead with decisive actions to address ongoing challenges in the global critical minerals marketplace. The announcement was made during the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial, hosted by Vice President JD Vance, Rubio, and other senior officials.

Delegations from 54 countries, including 43 foreign ministers and the European Commission, were in attendance. During the ministerial, Vice President Vance announced that the Trump administration plans to establish a critical minerals 'preferential trade zone' with partner nations. This initiative aims to prevent cheap critical minerals from entering US markets and affecting domestic manufacturers, a move seen as a response to Chinese trade practices.

Beijing rejected the proposal, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian describing it as a 'small-circle' approach. Lin emphasized that maintaining an open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial international trade environment is in the common interest of all nations. He further stated that China opposes any efforts by countries to undermine the international economic and trade order through such exclusive agreements.