Protecting Strategic Resources and the Rise of Local Investment Partnerships

Protecting Strategic Resources and the Rise of Local Investment Partnerships

How Chile, Australia, and Morocco Will Redraw the Global Investment Map in 2026?  The year 2026 witnessed a radical and unprecedented shift in the philosophy of global investment, as markets moved from an era of total trade liberalization to what is now known as "strategic resource protectionism." This shift was not accidental, but rather an inevitable reaction to the widening and alarming gap between the escalating global demand for vital minerals (especially lithium, cobalt, nickel, and phosphates) and the limited supply capacity. This prompted producing countries to reconsider their strategies and impose new rules of the game. With national security and the green economy at the forefront of the global agenda, major producing countries like Chile, Australia, and Morocco began a series of regulatory measures aimed at imposing strict restrictions on foreign ownership of their mines, stipulating what has become known as the "industrial localization clause" in exchang…