Welcome - ABA ILS Critical Minerals Policy Conference

Critical minerals have moved to the center of international trade, investment, and national security law — and the legal tools governing them are evolving fast.

The ABA International Law Section's Critical Minerals Policy Conference brings together leading policymakers, legal practitioners, industry executives, and strategic advisors for a two-day virtual program examining the legal, commercial, and geopolitical forces reshaping critical mineral supply chains.

As governments race to secure access to the minerals essential for energy transition, advanced manufacturing, defense, and emerging technologies, lawyers and counselors are confronting a complex and rapidly shifting landscape: diverging national definitions and regulatory regimes, a proliferation of bilateral partnerships and plurilateral agreements, new screening mechanisms for foreign investment, trade policy tools deployed in service of industrial strategy, and a national security overlay that touches nearly every transaction.

The program will address

Legal frameworks governing critical minerals development across jurisdictions — and where they conflict
The rise of bilateral and plurilateral supply chain partnerships and their legal architecture
Trade policy, downstream industrial production, and the legal implications of friend-shoring and market fragmentation
National security and political risk considerations in foreign investment, M&A, and project financing
Practical counsel for clients operating across the mining, processing, energy, defense, and technology sectors

Drawing on perspectives from government officials, leading legal practitioners from across the globe, multinational companies, financial institutions, and leading think tanks, this conference offers practitioners and advisors the analytical tools and practical insights needed to counsel clients navigating emerging legal and regulatory frameworks governing cross-border transactions.

Virtual Event

Critical minerals have moved to the center of international trade, investment, and national security law — and the legal tools governing them are evolving fast.

Virtual Event