When he sets foot inside the gilded cage of the Oval Office — for what will arguably be the most consequential meeting of his prime ministership — Anthony Albanese will be armed with something Donald Trump really wants.

The timing for Albanese could hardly be better.

Just over a week ago, China rocked its fragile trade truce with the White House when it tightened its already vice-like grip on the global supply of the elements needed to build everything from batteries, cars and missiles, to the magnets Trump so often talks about.

Australia has these critical minerals and rare earths in abundant supply and can dig them out of the ground, but what it is lacking is the capital to take the next step and process these minerals, to ultimately challenge China's near-total dominance of the secto

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