Quad Leaders Pledge $95 Million to Boost Open Supply Chains and Critical Minerals

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Quad – the United States, India, Japan and Australia – is advancing reliable and open supply chains while securing critical minerals. The foreign ministers met for the third time in six months, following gatherings in New Delhi in May and Manila in July, convening on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta. Rubio sat with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong. He said the partners are turning shared priorities into real benefits for the Indo‑Pacific and posted the remarks on X. US ambassador to India Sergio Gor highlighted the “third QUAD ministerial meeting in 6 months” and ongoing joint initiatives. The joint statement stressed economic security, reliable global supply chains, trusted infrastructure and warned against economic coercion and non‑market policies that create overcapacity in critical industries. It affirmed the need to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el‑Mandeb under UNCLOS. The United States pledged $10 million for infrastructure in India and ASEAN to recover critical minerals from waste and the Quad earmarked over $85 million for AI‑related projects such as Pax Silica. Ministers also voiced concern over online and cyber scams, committed to dismantle them, and noted the first Quad Fuel Security Forum in September and the inaugural Quad Business Leaders’ Forum to deepen public‑private ties. ## Context The Quad’s focus on supply‑chain resilience, critical mineral recovery and maritime freedom reflects broader efforts to counter economic coercion and ensure stable growth in the Indo‑Pacific region.