重要鉱物の供給網強化　日米比、連携拡大を議論―閣僚会合

　【ワシントン時事】日米フィリピン３カ国は１１日、米首都ワシントンで商務・産業相会合を開いた。電気自動車（ＥＶ）用電池の原材料となる重要鉱物のサプライチェーン（供給網）強化、エネルギーの脱炭素化などを議論。斎藤健経済産業相は記者会見で「日米を基軸にしつつ、重要分野での連携を同志国に拡大させたい」と語った。
　３カ国の閣僚会合は初めて。協議には斎藤経産相、レモンド米商務長官、フィリピンのパスクアル貿易産業相が出席した。
　会合では、ＥＶの普及で需要拡大が見込まれるニッケルなどに関し、日米による安定調達を確保する方策を協議した。重要鉱物を加工する国が限られる中で、ニッケル生産国のフィリピンにとっても「技術を持つ日米との連携は重要」（日本政府関係者）な課題だ。斎藤経産相は会合後、「３カ国で問題意識を共有した」と手応えを語った。（2024/04/12-10:25）

Industry ministers from Japan, the United States and the Philippines held a meeting in Washington on Thursday to discuss measures on strengthening supply chains of critical minerals, which are used in electric vehicle batteries.
   Attended by Japanese industry minister Ken Saito, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, the talks were the first ministerial meeting among the three countries.
   "We hope to expand cooperation in important fields to like-minded countries, while keeping Japan and the United States at the core," Saito told a press conference.
   At the meeting, the three discussed ways in which Japan and the United States can secure a stable supply of nickel and other resources.
   A Japanese government official said that for the Philippines, a major nickel producer, cooperation with Japan and the United States, which possess the technology for nickel processing, is "important" especially since not many countries have such technology.