In a significant move to secure access to essential minerals and reduce dependence on China’s mineral supply chains, the United States government has partnered with Orion Resource Partners and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund ADQ to launch a multibillion-dollar investment initiative aimed at expanding the global critical minerals supply. The coalition, titled the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium, was unveiled on October 23, 2025, with an initial capital infusion of $1.8 billion split evenly between the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Orion, and ADQ. The fund is targeting eventual growth to $5 billion by attracting like-minded global investors and additional stakeholders.
“This initiative represents a significant step forward in bridging the substantial funding gap needed to accelerate investment in the critical minerals supply chain, while boosting US economic growth and national security,” said Oskar Lewnowski, CEO of Orion Resource Partners, which manages approximately $8 billion in assets.
The decision to pool resources into mineral infrastructure is a key policy feature of President Donald Trump's second administration, part of a broader effort to insulate the American economy from geopolitical risks, particularly around China's dominant position in the global minerals market. As demand surges for materials such as lithium, cobalt, copper, manganese, uranium, and rare earth elements, all fundamental to electric vehicles, batteries, defense equipment, and clean energy technologies, the Western world has found itself scrambling to secure alternative sources.
DFC CEO Ben Black emphasized the strategic importance: “Securing critical minerals is a paramount matter of US strategic interest and economic prosperity. This new fund is about building a resilient pipeline of secure investments that can supply the US and its allies.”
Unlike traditional exploration-focused funds, the Orion Consortium will focus exclusively on projects that are near production or already operational, delivering faster returns and materials to the market. “What we're focused on is projects that are in production or can be put into production in the very near term,” said Frank Fannon, the consortium’s managing partner and former US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources.
The new fund also serves a dual geopolitical purpose: countering China’s strategic leveraging of mineral resources and strengthening economic ties between allied nations. It comes just days after the US signed a landmark minerals agreement with Australia, allocating up to $8.5 billion for joint projects and beginning advanced negotiations with the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world’s largest cobalt producer, for a similar deal.
The announcement has sent ripples through the global mining sector, coming during the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney, where over 10,000 industry players gathered this week to discuss the sector’s future. IMARC’s dominant themes this year mirrored the US administration’s priorities: the urgency around critical minerals, the push to decarbonize mining operations, and the expanding role of governments in de-risking major projects.
“Governments have returned to the center of the mining industry,” observed one IMARC panelist, referring to the extensive involvement of Washington, Canberra, and others in co-financing mining ventures. The industry sees these public-private partnerships as critical to building non-China supply chains, even if such alternatives prove more expensive. “The real question,” said Clyde Russell, Asia Commodities and Energy Columnist, “is how much customers in the West are willing to pay for supply chain independence from Beijing.”
Growing Western appetite for these projects was also evident in the recent launch of another $1 billion fund by Appian Capital Advisory and the International Finance Corporation to target mineral assets in Africa and Latin America.
Backed by vast experience in mining finance and new capital commitments, Orion plans to “go where the rocks are,” said Lewnowski, targeting both mineral-rich nations and the infrastructure required to process raw materials into usable components for industry.
The consortium will invest in assets aligned with the critical mineral lists published by the US, Canada, Australia, and the EU, while also eyeing projects involving copper and uranium, strategic materials essential for both energy transition and national security.DFC’s participation in investment decisions will help mitigate geopolitical risk, making the projects more attractive to private investors. “The US government’s involvement brings significant weight to these investments, especially in emerging markets,” Lewnowski noted. For now, Orion remains tight-lipped on specific targets, but Lewnowski hinted at interest in Ukraine’s mining sector: “Ukraine has some very interesting rocks. And let’s leave it at that.”
The rising stakes in mineral independence have pushed many US mining companies to seek federal partnerships. Firms like MP Materials, America’s sole rare earth miner, and Lithium Americas have already secured equity investments from the Trump administration, particularly through collaborations with the US Department of Defense, now renamed the Department of War.
This wave of investment has encouraged other firms and industry groups to amplify lobbying efforts in Washington, vying for a piece of the administration’s growing minerals strategy, seen as essential to national resilience and economic leadership.
Interestingly, even amid geopolitical tensions and corporate urgency, environmental goals have not been sidelined. At IMARC, many mining companies reinforced their commitment to decarbonizing operations not necessarily for climate reasons alone, but for the cost savings associated with energy efficiency. “Lower emissions are a welcome bonus,” said one executive. “What we’re really pursuing is cheaper long-term operational models.”
The shift from climate advocacy to economic pragmatism in sustainability also reflects the broader political landscape, especially with the return of a US administration less focused on regulating emissions. Yet, the mining sector’s green ambitions remain robust, motivated by investor expectations and bottom-line advantages.
With a growing number of state-backed and private capital initiatives reshaping the minerals landscape, the next five years may witness a significant diversification of global supply chains.
The Orion Critical Mineral Consortium is not just a fund; it’s a geopolitical and industrial strategy. As Western nations brace for intensifying resource competition, especially around materials that underpin technologies of the future, initiatives like this are poised to redefine who controls the raw materials of the 21st-century economy. For now, all eyes are on implementation and whether these ambitious investment plans translate into accelerated construction of mines, processors, and greener industrial supply routes outside of China’s shadow.