Malaysia tells lawmakers Lynas rare earth licence rules won’t soften under US minerals pact

Malaysia’s Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry insisted that its Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and the critical minerals memorandum with the United States won’t interfere with the government’s technical enforcement on Lynas Rare Earths Limited’s local operations. “This agreement includes fair and equitable treatment for investors,” the ministry told the Dewan Negara, but stressed that projects are still subject to environmental, social and governance requirements. The ministry also noted that talks between state investor Khazanah Nasional and Chinese firms on rare earths are still preliminary—no deal has been finalized.