Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed new agreements on critical minerals cooperation and broader collaboration in defense, trade and artificial intelligence during the latter's visit to Canberra, The New York Times reported on March 5. To wit, Australia agreed to join Canada's Critical Minerals Production Alliance, a G7 initiative aimed at diversifying supply chains away from Chinese processing dominance.

The agreements reflect a broader push by Carney to build middle-power coalitions amid growing uncertainty in the global order and strained relations between major powers and Western countries. At the same time, Western governments are seeking to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals processing and supply chains that underpin semiconductors, clean energy technologies and defense systems.