The Minerals Beneath Ecuador’s Rainforests Just Became a Frontline in the U.S.-China Resource War

2026-02-06 - 19:15

Key Points — Ecuador signed a critical minerals deal with the U.S. at a 54-country summit in Washington — part of the largest American push in decades to break China’s stranglehold on the metals that power batteries, chips, and artificial intelligence. — Less than 1% of Ecuador’s territory has been explored for minerals, yet geologists