Key facts
- Japan and France have elevated economic security to a core component of their national and collective defense.
- The summit addressed supply chain resilience and energy source diversification amid global instability.
- The Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and LNG shipping route, has effectively ceased functioning.
- A Japan-France Roadmap on Critical Minerals aims to reduce reliance on single suppliers and mitigate economic coercion.
- Cooperation on nuclear energy, including fast reactors and fusion energy, was also confirmed.
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and French President Emmanuel Macron met on April 1 to elevate economic security, focusing on supply chain resilience and energy diversification in response to global instability. The summit occurred against the backdrop of severe energy disruptions, with the Strait of Hormuz experiencing a near standstill in tanker traffic due to conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. This situation has sent Brent crude prices sharply higher and highlighted Japan's energy import dependency.
In their joint statement, the leaders emphasized that economic security is integral to national and collective defense. A key outcome was the Japan-France Roadmap on Critical Minerals, addressing concerns over supply concentration and economic coercion, particularly concerning China's dominant role in rare earth mining and refining. The roadmap includes concrete industrial cooperation, such as support for the Caremag rare earth refining project in France, which is expected to begin operations by late 2026 and could supply a significant portion of Japan's heavy rare-earth oxide demand.
The agreement also encompasses collaboration on upstream mining, recycling technologies, and integrating developing economies into resilient supply chains through the "RISE" partnership. Both leaders stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and stable energy flows, committing to diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. Furthermore, Japan and France agreed to deepen cooperation in nuclear energy, focusing on fast reactors, the nuclear fuel cycle, and fusion energy as long-term pillars for energy security and decarbonization.