Amidst ongoing negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Australia for the development of a general free trade agreement (FTA), the two states have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on implementing a critical minerals partnership. This is Australia recognizing that the EU realistically doesn’t have many other options in sourcing critical minerals from countries it has a strong relationship with, and that if the EU can get its act together in developing domestic manufacturing facilities, it could be a valuable trading partner in the future. Alongside the fact that the EU’s domestic potential for mineral extraction remains minimal despite increased rhetoric in changing that from the bloc. Rhetoric may be changing within the bloc, but the individuals…