International Trade and Investment Agreements and Sustainable Critical Minerals Supply

The report examines over 100 trade and investment agreements and MOUs to determine if they support sustainable critical mineral supply chains. It highlights a shift toward incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) provisions in new treaties and suggests that exporting countries can use critical minerals as leverage in negotiations to secure concessions and align policies with sustainable governance goals. The analysis specifically focuses on case studies from Indonesia, Chile, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• There is a transition from older treaties toward new free trade agreements, international investment agreements, and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) that integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) provisions.
• Mineral-exporting nations have the opportunity to use their critical mineral resources during negotiations to obtain concessions and ensure policies align with their specific goals, particularly through the reform of investment treaties and the inclusion of ESG standards.
• While MOUs are viewed as a positive step toward balancing the interests of importers and exporters, their effectiveness depends on the creation of practical implementation plans.

APA

Verma,, I. B. G. M. H. N. O. T. (2025). International Trade and Investment Agreements and Sustainable Critical Minerals Supply. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-investment-agreements-critical-minerals

Chicago

Verma,, Ieva Baršauskaitė,Julia Gubler,Tom Moerenhout,Suzy H. Nikièma,Josef Ostřanský,Alice Tipping,Rupal. International Trade and Investment Agreements and Sustainable Critical Minerals Supply. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-investment-agreements-critical-minerals.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Verma, |first1=Ieva Baršauskaitė,Julia Gubler,Tom Moerenhout,Suzy H. Nikièma,Josef Ostřanský,Alice Tipping,Rupal |title=International Trade and Investment Agreements and Sustainable Critical Minerals Supply |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=7 April 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-investment-agreements-critical-minerals |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{verma2025international, author = {Verma,, Ieva Baršauskaitė,Julia Gubler,Tom Moerenhout,Suzy H. Nikièma,Josef Ostřanský,Alice Tipping,Rupal}, title = {{International Trade and Investment Agreements and Sustainable Critical Minerals Supply}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-investment-agreements-critical-minerals}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }