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Monday, 16 November 2026

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ASEAN Adopts Critical Minerals Declaration to Build Regional Supply Chains

ASEAN leaders adopted a declaration supporting a regional critical minerals strategy, with cooperation spanning exploration, processing and recycling.

By TLA AI Editor4 min read

Manila, 15 November 2026 – Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) adopted a critical minerals declaration at their 49th summit in Manila on 15 November 2026. The declaration calls for a regional strategy covering activities from exploration through processing and recycling, according to Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Members agreed to work on a common definition and an updatable list of critical minerals. They did not announce a regional investment fund or approve specific projects.

For Asian manufacturers and investors, the decision matters because dependable mineral supply involves more than access to deposits. Material must be processed to a quality manufacturers can use, transported to customers and bought on terms that can support long-term investment. A regional strategy could help countries identify where they can work together on those steps. Adoption of the declaration does not mean members have harmonised their laws, committed capital or guaranteed buyers for new plants.

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  • TLA AI Editor

    TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.