Quad calls out export curbs, Strait of Hormuz closure

Both concerns bear directly on India, which brings in much of its fertiliser and energy through the Gulf and relies on China for critical minerals. The foreign ministers of India, the US, Australia and Japan on Saturday called it an “absolute necessity” to protect navigational rights in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where ships and crews should pass without tolls, and voiced “grave concerns” over economic coercion through arbitrary export restrictions, even as US secretary of state Marco Rubio said a meeting of Quad leaders in Manila next month would be announced very soon.While Rubio did not announce a day, the Asean conference runs in Manila on November 15-18. (AP)Both concerns bear directly on India, which brings in much of its fertiliser and energy through the Gulf and relies on China for critical minerals — although the statement did not name either country.Jaishankar meets Australian, Japanese counterpartsThe joint statement was issued after Rubio hosted external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Australian and Japanese counterparts in Atlanta for their third meeting this year, shortly before the closing session of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting.Deep DiveJaishankar said on X that he spoke at the meeting about countering non-market practices and increased economic stresses in the Indo-Pacific, and stressed deeper Quad cooperation on supply chain resilience and on technology, critical minerals and energy security, PTI reported. He also called for taking forward agreements on counter-terrorism, maritime security and capacity building, and for a more contemporary Quad agenda with a practical approach.At the G20 meeting on Friday, Jaishankar criticised disruptions to global oil supplies through sanctions and chokepoints, saying deliberate attacks on energy trade and infrastructure were a calculated strategy to hold prices hostage.While the only waterways the Quad joint statement named were in West Asia, it made no reference to the South China Sea, where China has territorial disputes with several Asean members, including Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, and which earlier Quad statements have addressed.“We’ll be announcing very soon, if we haven’t already, that we’ll be holding a Quad Leaders’ Meeting in Manila next month,” Rubio said at a press conference later.Also Read I Quad Leaders’ Summit to take place in Manila next month, says US Secy of State Marco RubioThe Philippines holds Asean’s rotating chair this year, and HT reported on October 17 that the Quad was exploring a leaders’ summit on the sidelines of the bloc’s meetings in Manila. All four Quad countries are comprehensive strategic partners of Asean and back its outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and their foreign ministers issued a joint statement in Manila in July on cooperation with the 11-member bloc.While Rubio did not announce a day, the Asean conference runs in Manila on November 15-18. Modi is expected in Manila on November 16-17 for Asean-related meetings.Earlier, news agency Reuters reported plans are taking shape for Trump to attend his first formal Quad leaders’ meeting in Manila.Critical mineral exportsThe ministers’ warning on coercion came as Japan has been sharply critical of Beijing over its restrictions on critical mineral exports, Reuters reported. China refines about 90% of the world’s rare earths, and its curbs on rare earth magnets disrupted Indian automakers in 2025, a year in which shipments of Chinese specialty fertilisers to India were also held up.The ministers objected to “non-market policies and practices that result in overcapacity” in critical industries, a charge the US and the European Union have repeatedly levelled at Chinese steel, solar and electric-vehicle makers. They said the four countries were recovering critical minerals from electronic waste and scrap “to reduce reliance on any single supplier”, with the US committing $10 million to such facilities in India and Asean countries.The four countries discussed strengthening their strategic petroleum reserves and stockholdings at the first Quad Fuel Security Forum in September, according to the statement.The four countries will launch an effort to identify chokepoints in semiconductor and SI supply chains before they cause disruptions, and will pick priority countries for cooperation on “trusted” communications networks, including 5G, 6G and Open RAN, a standard that lets operators mix equipment from different vendors. India’s 2021 rules requiring telecom operators to buy from trusted sources have effectively shut out Chinese vendors such as Huawei and ZTE.The ministers pledged more than $85 million in technical and financial assistance to support access to “trusted SI” across the Indo-Pacific, including through a Quad SI Accelerator, and tied it to Pax Silica, a US-led initiative launched last year to secure supply chains for semiconductors, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. The statement spells SI out as Super Intelligence and marks it with an asterisk.Also Read I Indo-Pacific Quad ministers work on supply chains, denounce arbitrary export restrictionsThe ministers condemned criminal groups that run online scam operations and traffic people to force them to defraud citizens of the four countries, stealing tens of billions of dollars a year, and committed to dismantling the operations and holding the groups and their leaders accountable.They recognised India’s role as first responder after the August 26 flash floods in Nepal, alongside support from all Quad countries.Strait Of HormuzQuadExportGet the latest World News, breaking headlines and global updates from the US, UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia and other countries. Follow major international events on Hindustan Times.