In a press release published on February 26, 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) invited public comments on the “design of a plurilateral Agreement on Trade in Critical Minerals and policy actions to enhance the resilience of critical mineral supply chains.”

USTR is seeking input on trade policies intended to:

• Increase the domestic availability of mined, refined, and processed critical minerals;
• Incentivize the reshoring of the mining, processing, refining and production of critical minerals and their derivatives; and
• Diversify sources of mined, refined, and processed critical minerals and their derivatives among like-minded trading partners.

Comments are being accepted via the USTR portal at https://comments.ustr.gov/​s/​ until March 19, 2026.

Additional information is available at the following links:

USTR Press Release:
https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/february/ustr-seeks-public-comment-design-plurilateral-agreement-trade-critical-minerals-and-policy-actions

Federal Register Notice (FRN 2026-03868):
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/26/2026-03868/request-for-comments-on-the-design-of-a-plurilateral-agreement-on-trade-in-critical-minerals-and