Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The United States government has said it is ready to engage with Zimbabwe to secure the supply of critical minerals in a way that benefits both countries.
Critical minerals, essential for modern economies and national security, yet often concentrated in just a handful of countries, underpin industries from energy and technology to defence.
They include lithium, cobalt and nickel for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage, rare earth elements used in wind turbines, electronics and defence systems, as well as copper and aluminium.
Zimbabwe is known to have substantial deposits of many of these resources.
In a brief statement posted on X on Friday, the US Embassy in Harare said Washington is diversifying its global sources of critical minerals and identified Zimbabwe as a potential partner in that effort. Reads the statement:
“The United States is diversifying its sources for critical minerals around the world.
“We are ready to engage with Zimbabwe on mutually beneficial supply chain transactions.”
Zimbabwe, Africa’s top lithium producer, sits on the world’s sixth-largest lithium reserves and is gearing up to supply as much as 20 per cent of global demand.
But lithium is just the tip of the iceberg. The country also holds the world’s second-largest reserves of platinum group metals, hosts 17 different rare earth minerals, and remains a major producer of chrome, nickel, and iron.
Ndavaningi Mangwana, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, told The Sunday Mail that Harare is ready to enter substantive discussions with Washington on the matter. Said Mangwana:
“The Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and relevant line ministries, stands ready to receive further details and to engage in substantive discussions that align with these principles.
“We welcome any relationship — whether in business, trade or manufacturing — that is founded on mutual respect, mutual benefit and contributes to the sustainable development of Zimbabwe.
“In this context, we view the expressed interest in diversifying sources for critical minerals as a potential opportunity.”
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