Fuel security concerns are set to dominate discussions as Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King travels to Japan this weekend for high-level talks on energy resilience and critical minerals supply chains.
King will attend the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum, co-hosted by the Japanese Government and the United States, alongside ministers from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Timor-Leste.
The visit comes as governments and industry across Australia increasingly focus on fuel security, particularly following concerns raised by the mining sector in Western Australia about potential supply disruptions to diesel and other critical fuels used in remote operations.
The forum, organised by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the US National Energy Dominance Council, will bring together government leaders and industry to strengthen cooperation on energy supply chains and regional energy security.
King said the meeting would provide an important opportunity for countries to work together to address global energy challenges.
“Australia is committed to resilient and secure energy supply chains that underpin regional stability and economic security,” King said.
“Global supply chains and energy security challenges cannot be solved by any country alone, and fora like this are essential for coordinated action and shared solutions.”
The discussions come at a time when global energy markets are facing renewed volatility due to conflict in the Middle East, which has heightened concerns about fuel availability and shipping disruptions.
Diesel remains critical to Australia’s mining industry, powering haul trucks, generators and equipment at many remote operations across the country.
During the visit, King will also hold bilateral meetings with several international counterparts, including United States Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Japan’s Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa, and Republic of Korea Minister for Trade, Industry and Resources Dr Jungkwan Kim.
King and Burgum will also conduct a Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting stemming from the Australia–United States Critical Minerals Framework signed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and United States President Donald Trump in October last year.
The framework is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries on developing secure and diversified supply chains for critical minerals used in technologies such as batteries, renewable energy systems and advanced electronics.
Australia remains a major supplier of energy and mineral resources to the Indo-Pacific region, exporting commodities including iron ore, coal and liquefied natural gas while expanding its role in global critical minerals supply chains.
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