United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent invited Australia and India to a Group of Seven (G7) meeting in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 12 to discuss critical minerals. This meeting comes after a G7 summit this past summer and a virtual meeting held in December 2025. The decision to hold a meeting shortly after last month’s G7 virtual meeting came from Bessent himself. Australia will most likely be a leading force in methods to avoid China’s exports. “Bessent Says Australia, India Invited to G7 Meeting on Critical Minerals | Reuters.” Reuters, January 9, 2026. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/bessent-says-australia-india-invited-g7-meeting-critical-minerals-2026-01-10/.