The Democratic Republic of Congo will send the United States a list of mineral projects open to American investment. The country’s authorities expect to attract new partners and reduce China’s dominance in supply chains critical metals.
Congolese Minister of Mining Louis Watum said that the list of projects will be transferred to the American side in the near future and will become the basis for commercial negotiations. According to him, we are not talking about preferential distribution of assets, but about full-fledged investment cooperation.
The initiative was a continuation of the agreement between Washington and Kinshasa on cooperation in the field of mineral resources. The document covers projects on copper, cobalt, lithium and tantalum – metals that play a key role in the production of batteries, electronics and defense technologies.
Congo ranks second in the world in terms of production copper and is the largest supplier of cobalt. At the same time, a significant part of production today is controlled by Chinese companies. They have been actively expanding their presence in the country in recent years, while Western corporations have long avoided the market due to conflicts, corruption risks and infrastructure problems.
Congolese authorities expect that influx of American investment will help balance China’s influence. Beijing previously received broad tax breaks in exchange for investment commitments, but they were not fully implemented. Now, according to government estimates, Chinese entities control about 80% of the country’s production, including some of the world’s largest sources of cobalt.
The new mineral dialogue is part of broader arrangements in which the United States is involved in supporting the peace process in the region. In exchange, Congo is ready to create conditions for American companies to work in the mining sector.
Washington emphasizes that access to critical metals is considered a strategic priority. The United States is seeking to diversify supplies to reduce dependence on China in the high-tech, energy and defense sectors.
The Congolese government expects the partnership with the United States to accelerate the development of mineral projects, attract capital and technology, and allow the country to strengthen its position in the global strategic metals market.
Source: MINING.COM
Photo: CMOC
