German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul meeting his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.Image: keystone
Germany and Australia want to further expand their cooperation on importing critical raw materials from Down Under.
02/05/2026, 07:4702/05/2026, 07:47
“Your country is an important partner for us in diversifying our supply chains,” said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul after a meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in the capital Canberra. “Many critical raw materials such as lithium are extracted here, and we are very interested in further expanding our cooperation in the raw materials sector, especially with strategically important minerals.”
Australia operates the largest lithium mine in the world
An example of this can be found south of Perth on the west coast, where the largest hard rock lithium mine in the world is operated in the town of Greenbushes. The “white gold” is found in modern technologies, from electric car batteries to smartphones. The mine covers more than 2,000 hectares and supplies around 20 percent of the world’s production. The country also has huge deposits of rare earths such as neodymium and terbium, which are needed for the production of high-performance magnets.
The partnership in the exploitation of mineral deposits comes with a certain price tag, admitted Wadephul. “We also have to be prepared to spend money because the development of these raw materials is sometimes expensive,” he emphasized. “But at the same time we know that Germany in particular is urgently dependent on such raw materials.”
New attempt for free trade agreements
In this context, it is also important to quickly conclude the planned free trade agreement between the EU and Australia, said the CDU politician. After the preliminary failure of the talks in 2023 due to disputes over agricultural imports, new negotiations are currently underway. If it were up to him, an agreement should be reached as quickly as possible, said Wadephul – “preferably this year.”
Australia’s Foreign Minister Wong also expressed her hope that such an agreement would be concluded between “like-minded countries” in the near future – “especially at a time when we are not only experiencing challenges, but also profound changes and upheavals worldwide.” Wadephul emphasized: “We believe that all trade barriers must be removed and we believe that the European Union and Australia would win with such an agreement.” (sda/dpa)