The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australia is ramping up its bid to strike a deal with the Trump administration on critical minerals in time for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s October 20 meeting with US President Donald Trump, who took Australian officials by surprise on Friday with a fresh round of tariffs on medicines.

USSC Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer was quoted in the article saying rare earths was arguably Australia’s best bargaining chip with the Trump administration as the US tried to avoid a shortage of minerals such as lithium, germanium, graphite and cobalt, if China withheld supply.