The US Department of War announced $174 million in financing for Alcoa Corp to build a gallium plant at its alumina refinery in Western Australia. This investment aims to reduce Washington's reliance on China for critical minerals. The facility will process gallium, a key component in semiconductors and LEDs, diversifying the global supply chain away from Chinese dominance.

Alcoa's existing operations in the region provide the infrastructure for this strategic expansion. The project underscores growing US efforts to secure domestic sources of essential materials for technology manufacturing.