US and Australia sign critical minerals deal as Donald Trump, Anthony Albanese meet at White HouseStaff WritersAAPTue, 21 October 2025 2:23AMCommentsComments
US President Donald Trump has hailed his friendship with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during talks at the White House despite an awkward moment when the Australian Ambassador’s past comments were brought up.
The two leaders signed an agreement on rare earth and critical minerals in front of reporters during what US officials billed as a “bilateral lunch” in the White House cabinet room.
“This is an $8.5 billion pipeline that we have ready to go,” Mr Albanese said while signing a deal that Mr Trump added had been negotiated over a period of four or five months.
The agreement involved the processing of minerals, the leaders said.
The Prime Minister has been joined by Resources Minister Madeleine King and Industry Minister Tim Ayres during his visit to the US.
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The US President was enthusiastic in his praise for Mr Albanese during the meeting.
“We’ve been long term, long time allies, and I would say there’s never been anybody better,” Mr Trump said.
“We fought wars together, we never had any doubts, and it’s a great honour to have you as my friend.
“It’s a great honour to have you in the United States of America.”
Mr Albanese also hailed the US-Australian relationship and said Mr Trump’s work on a Middle East ceasefire was “an extraordinary achievement”.
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The Prime Minister went into the meeting hoping to gain assurances the United States would not sever ties with the AUKUS agreement, which would give Australia nuclear submarines.
The more than $300 billion trilateral agreement had been under review by the US Defense Department to ensure it aligned with the “America first” agenda of Mr Trump’s Administration.
US Navy Secretary John Phelan told the meeting the US and Australia were working very closely to improve the original AUKUS framework for all three parties “and clarify some of the ambiguity that was in the prior agreement”.
Asked by a reporter about Australia’s US ambassador Kevin Rudd’s past criticism of Mr Trump, the US President responded: “I don’t know anything about him. If he said bad, then maybe he’d like to apologise?”.
“Did an ambassador say something bad about me?” he asked Mr Albanese before waving his hand and saying “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know”.
“Where is he? Is he still working for you?,” Mr Trump asked.
Mr Albanese pointed to Mr Rudd on the opposite side of the table.
Mr Rudd said it was before he was in his current position as Australian envoy to the US.
“I don’t like you either, and I probably never will,” Mr Trump said.
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Mr Trump said the Prime Minister had invited him to visit Australia and that he was giving the offer serious consideration.
The White House meeting is the first time the leaders have held formal bilateral talks and is the sixth time Mr Albanese has spoken with the US President since he was re-elected in November.
Four of those occasions have been over the phone, while the pair met in person for the first time at a reception hosted by Mr Trump during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
with Reuters
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