Rare Earths: U.S.–Chile Agreement, Explorations in the Dominican Republic, and Haiti’s Silence

Chile and the United States have signed a joint declaration to launch discussions on rare earths and other critical minerals, with the aim of strengthening supply chains and reducing dependence on China.

The agreement was signed in Santiago by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna on March 11, 2026, during the inauguration ceremony of President José Antonio Kast, according to Reuters.

The declaration includes several key initiatives:

• the identification of new mining projects;

• the development of research and innovation initiatives in mineral processing;

• the financing of projects through public and private capital;

• the strengthening of secure supply chains.

Chile plays a crucial role in this sector. The country is currently the world’s leading producer of copper and holds some of the largest lithium reserves, a mineral essential to the global energy transition.

The agreement is part of a broader strategy by the United States to reduce its dependence on China for the supply of critical minerals.

In this context, Washington has been expanding its partnerships across Latin America. The United States has also reached a similar agreement with the Dominican Republic, where geological exploration has already begun in the border region of Pedernales to assess the potential for strategic mineral resources.

Notably, while these explorations are taking place in a sensitive border area, the authorities in Haiti have remained completely silent.

So far, no official communication has been issued regarding the possible implications of these explorations for Haitian territory, particularly in border regions that share similar geological formations.

This lack of response has raised concerns among some observers, who point to a troubling absence of transparency—or even interest—regarding the strategic importance of natural resources in the region.

With the global energy transition and the race for advanced technologies accelerating, critical minerals have become a major geopolitical issue.

By strengthening partnerships with resource-rich countries such as Chile and the Dominican Republic, the United Statesaims to secure access to raw materials essential to the economy of the future.

Meanwhile, one question remains: what role will Haiti play in this new global competition for strategic resources?

Brigitte Benshow