The IEA recently brought together more than 100 participants from Member countries, along with market and industry experts, for a two-day Table-Top Exercise and Diversification Workshop at its headquarters in Paris.
Organised under the IEA's Critical Minerals Security Programme, the event on 22-23 October aimed to strengthen governments' preparedness for potential supply disruptions and advance international cooperation on developing more resilient and diversified critical mineral supply chains.
Building on the success of previous editions of the exercise, participation doubled this year, reflecting growing international attention to the security of critical minerals supply chains. This year's event also extended to two days, allowing participants to examine both immediate supply security challenges and longer-term diversification strategies in greater depth.
The first day featured a table-top exercise focused on rare earth elements, which are essential for a wide range of strategic industries, including the automotive, energy and high-tech sectors.
Through realistic simulations of potential supply disruptions and market developments, participating governments tested their ability to assess supply risks, identify appropriate policy responses and coordinate actions with international partners.
The exercise examined two distinct challenges: a sudden disruption to rare earth supplies and prolonged market pressures threatening the economic viability of diversified supply projects. The scenarios highlighted the importance of both emergency preparedness and maintaining resilient supply chains over the longer term.
Participants engaged in intensive discussions and simulated negotiations, exploring potential bilateral and multilateral responses and identifying areas in which stronger international coordination could improve preparedness.
The second day focused on practical approaches to diversifying critical minerals supply chains, with a focus on rare earths and tungsten, a strategic mineral needed for a variety of applications across energy, defence and industrial components. Participants worked in groups to examine strategic project opportunities, assess policy and market instruments to support diversification, and identify critical dependencies related to technologies, equipment, chemicals and technical know-how.
The workshop featured new analytical tools developed by the IEA, including a Critical Minerals Information Dashboard and a Policy Tool Simulator. These tools enabled participants to assess strategic project opportunities, explore international partnerships, and evaluate how different policy measures could influence project economics and fiscal costs. The exercises also highlighted the importance of addressing bottlenecks in the specialised technologies and expertise needed to bring new projects into operation.
Participants welcomed the practical and interactive format, which provided opportunities to test policy approaches, exchange experiences and identify potential areas for cooperation.
Building on the IEA Ministerial Declaration in February 2026 and the G7 Leaders' Declaration in June 2026, which called for stronger international cooperation on critical minerals security, the IEA is further strengthening its Critical Minerals Security Programme as a key international platform to enhance emergency preparedness and accelerate supply chain diversification. Drawing on its longstanding experience in oil security, the IEA is also working with Member countries to explore the development of a structured emergency response procedure for critical minerals.
