Launched by Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg in December 2025, Pax Silica is the Department of State’s flagship effort on artificial intelligence (AI) and supply chain security. The initiative aims to build new economic security consensus among allies and trusted partners to advance secure, prosperous, and innovative supply chains spanning critical minerals, energy inputs, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI and technology infrastructure.
2026 Pax Silica Summit Deliverables
Signing of Joint Statement on AI Opportunity
- The United States and close to three dozen Pax Silica economies signed a Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, further aligning them on a pro-growth, pro-innovation regulatory approach to AI. The Joint Statement focused on empowering builders, startups, developers, and the private sector while securing global AI supply chains.
- The following countries have signed the AI Opportunity Statement so far: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sweden, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States.
- Read the full text of the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity Partnership here.
New Pax Silica Signatories
- As a result of the 2026 Pax Silica Summit, ten additional partners have signed the Pax Silica Declaration, joining the initiative. The new signatories are: Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, the European Union, Germany, Greece, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, and Panama.
- Pax Silica now counts 24 signatories, with the above partners joining Australia, Finland, India, Israel, Japan, Norway, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sweden, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Taiwan has endorsed the Pax Silica declaration principles via the Joint Statement on the Pax Silica Declaration and U.S.-Taiwan Economic Security Cooperation.
- Pax Silica is a positive-sum partnership of nations who seek to remain competitive and prosperous.
Announcement of Pilot Pax Silica AI Assistance Project in Panama
- The Department of State is planning to announce a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity for a new Pax Silica Artificial Intelligence Assistance Project for Panama, and Pax Silica partners that ship high-value AI supply chain products through Panama. Through this project, the Department seeks to strengthen global AI supply chain security by developing an AI supply chain credentialing and provenance platform that expedites the shipping of semiconductors, AI infrastructure, critical minerals, and related products.
- The new platform is envisioned to integrate with existing customs, port operator, and shipper tracking platforms to accelerate logistics and customs for vetted shipments. The project would begin as a pilot with Panama by implementing the platform with Panama’s ports and customs authorities. If the pilot with Panama is successful, the Department would seek to commence the second phase of the project, expanding the geographic reach to other Pax Silica countries and economies.
United States and Stanford University Launch Foundry School Initiative
- On the final day of the 2026 Pax Silica Summit, Under Secretary Helberg unveiled a new workforce development initiative created in partnership with Stanford University. Foundry School will kick off with a seminar series at Stanford, gathering founders and CEOs in advanced manufacturing to teach the principles behind the world’s most successful industrial enterprises. This series will be paired with a first-of-its-kind advanced manufacturing curriculum, jointly developed by Stanford and the State Department, that educational institutions across Pax Silica economies can adopt and deliver in their own classrooms.
- Advanced manufacturing is not yet well-established as a standalone field of study, despite its vital importance for national power. Foundry School’s curriculum will give the next generation of technologists, policymakers, and industrial leaders in the United States and like-minded nations a common framework for the industrial capabilities that underwrite both economic strength and national security.
For media inquiries, please submit questions here, and stay updated by following @UnderSecE on X. For more information, visit the Pax Silica website.
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