The Quad Should Share Intel on Critical-Mineral Supply Risks
Of course, there are national security and commercial risks associated with information sharing. But it can offset other risks. There are compelling reasons for improving transparency: governments can better prepare for disruptions and design better market interventions, and industry can operate on a more level playing field. While much activity around critical minerals happens in China and can’t be captured, it would still be helpful to have a centralized mechanism that aggregates global information such as geological and trade data, investment flows and foreign ownership.
Maritime fusion centers – such as the one in the Indian Ocean operated by India and supported by the US, Japan and Australia – already provide a model for this type of information fusion.
Maritime fusion centers are hubs staffed by navy personnel and international analysts from various countries, enabling information sharing on ship movements, illegal activities and emergencies. There are three fusion centers currently operating in the Indo-Pacific, located in India, Singapore and Vanuatu. The Quad countries support these fusion centers through their Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Program.
Using information gathered from multiple sources including commercial shipping data, satellite and radar imagery, and maritime authorities, fusion centers create coherent pictures that can inform actions. And they’re getting better over time – thanks to improvements in AI analysis platforms, the analytical capabilities of fusion centers have advanced considerably since 2020.
Information fusion centers reflect governments’ recognition of the need for cooperation in monitoring activities across vast territories. They help countries coordinate and respond to risks, even when they don’t align politically. Such a mechanism is essential for understanding critical-mineral supply chains, because they are too complex and geographically widespread for any one country to gain a coherent picture.
The Quad is the most suitable grouping to trial a mineral fusion center. Other groups, such as the FORGE and the G7+, are also looking to cooperate on minerals. But the Quad is a contained, close-knit group of countries that can each offer snapshots of the different parts of the critical-mineral value chain: financing, mining, processing, manufacturing and consumption.
The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative launched last year could provide the scaffolding to pilot a mineral fusion center that focuses on one or two mineral supply chains. This could be set up with minimal financial outlay, although human resources would be needed. If the pilot Quad minerals fusion center is successful, it could expand to include information and analysis from other trusted partners including South Korea and Canada, as well as countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.
Coordinated information sharing and fusion is the crucial next step in derisking mineral supply chains. The Quad is the ideal grouping to pioneer it.
Hayley Channer is director of the Economic Security Program with the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. This article is published courtesy of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).
