(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed on Monday to ensure a steady supply of critical minerals and rare earths, as the United States moves to reduce its reliance on Chinese supply. The U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) issued seven letters of interest (LOIs) on Monday for more than $2.2 billion of financing, unlocking up to $5 billion of total investment, to advance critical minerals and supply chain security projects between the two countries. These are the Australian mining companies that have announced details about their receipt of LOIs from EXIM: AGREEMENTS ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY VHM VHM received an updated letter of interest from EXIM for up to $200 million in funding, with an improved term of up to 15 years in potential financing, to support development of its Goschen rare earths and mineral sands project in Australia. LATROBE MAGNESIUM Latrobe Magnesium said EXIM was prepared to finance up to $122 million for the firm's stage 2 commercial magnesium plant in Victoria, Australia. ARAFURA RARE EARTHS EXIM provided a non-binding LOI in support of Arafura's Nolans project in the Northern Territory, with preliminary discussions of EXIM considering up to $300 million of financing support. NORTHERN MINERALS EXIM outlined it would be able to consider financing up to $230 million of potential debt funding to support the development of Northern Minerals' Browns Range heavy rare earths project in Western Australia. AGREEMENTS ANNOUNCED PREVIOUSLY FOR PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC MATERIALS Australian Strategic Materials received a LOI from EXIM in March 2024 for a debt funding package of up to $600 million to support construction of its Dubbo rare earths project northwest of Sydney. EQ RESOURCES EQ Resources received a LOI from EXIM in June 2025 for a debt facility of up to $34 million to support the Mt Carbine tungsten expansion project in Australia. VICTORY METALS Victory Metals in April 2025 secured a $190 million LOI from EXIM for the development of its North Stanmore heavy rare earths, scandium and hafnium project in Western Australia. SUNRISE ENERGY METALS Sunrise Energy Metals in September 2025 received a LOI from EXIM for up to $67 million in financing for its Syerston scandium project in New South Wales, Australia. AGREEMENTS ANNOUNCED PREVIOUSLY FOR PROJECTS OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA AMERICAN RARE EARTHS American Rare Earths received a LOI from EXIM in September 2024 for a debt funding package of up to $456 million to support construction of the Cowboy State Mine area at its Halleck Creek project in Wyoming. ANSON RESOURCES EXIM offered $330 million in September 2024 to finance the construction of Anson Resources' lithium production plant in the Paradox Basin, Utah. METEORIC RESOURCES U.S. EXIM, in March 2024, offered up to $250 million in preliminary support for Australian-listed Meteoric Resources, to develop its Caldeira rare earths project in Brazil. IPERIONX IperionX said in April 2025 that the EXIM had approved an equipment finance loan of $11 million to support significant expansion of IperionX’s advanced titanium manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. QUANTUM GRAPHITE Australian miner Quantum Graphite said in July 2024 that it had received a term sheet from EXIM for a loan of up to $300 million to fund the Utile project near the North Atlantic Ocean. AMAERO INTERNATIONAL At the beginning of 2025, Amaero International secured a loan of $22.8 million from EXIM as part of the bank's "Make More in America" initiative to strengthen local supply chains. (Reporting by Shivangi Lahiri and Shruti Agarwal in Bengaluru and Melanie Burton in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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