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Quad Nations Expand Recycling and Tech Cooperation

U.S., Japan, Australia, and India agree to boost critical mineral recycling and AI collaboration.

New York Editorial News Desk October 31, 2026 1 min read

The Brief

  • Quad nations pledged $10 million to expand recycling facilities in India and ASEAN.
  • They plan to invest $85 million in AI technology across the Indo-Pacific.
  • Cooperation includes building recycling systems and reducing reliance on China.

The United States, Japan, Australia, and India have agreed to expand cooperation in recycling and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to reduce their dependence on China for critical minerals. The Quad, a security grouping of the four nations, adopted a joint statement outlining economic security cooperation during a foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta.

The statement criticized arbitrary export restrictions and non-market policies that threaten supply chains in major industries. While the countries did not name any specific nation, the remarks were widely interpreted as targeting China, which has been tightening controls on critical mineral exports.

The Quad agreed to build recycling supply chains that extract minerals from waste and reintroduce them into use. This includes recovering critical minerals from electronic waste and scrap metal, as well as strengthening a private-sector-led recycling system across waste collection, processing, and refining.

The cooperation is a follow-up to the 'Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework' announced in May. The U.S. pledged $10 million to expand facilities using waste resources in India and ASEAN member states. The countries also plan to simplify import and export procedures and strengthen enforcement of existing regulations to facilitate the trade of recycled materials.

In addition to critical minerals, the Quad is broadening its economic security cooperation to include energy resources. Last September, the group held its first Fuel Security Forum to discuss stabilizing energy supplies in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on strengthening strategic petroleum reserves and fuel inventories.

The countries also agreed to ensure the safety of maritime logistics networks, reaffirming the importance of freedom of navigation under international law in key straits such as the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. They opposed actions that hinder the safe movement of ships and crews or impose transit fees.

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