The United States announced plans to invest in a joint venture marketing Congo’s copper and cobalt, seeking strategic access for U.S. industries.
The move intensifies a global contest with China over minerals vital for electric vehicles, smartphones, and renewable energy technologies.
Congo controls roughly 72% of the world’s cobalt reserves, supplying over 74% of global demand, largely from artisanal and small-scale mines.
The announcement followed a U.S.-hosted meeting where President Trump welcomed Congolese and Rwandan leaders to sign a peace agreement.
The accord aims to end long-standing conflict in eastern Congo while stabilising mineral supply chains for international markets.
Trump described the pact as a “new era of harmony,” promising regional prosperity, though clashes resumed immediately after the deal.
The agreement links security guarantees to economic initiatives, opening Congo’s copper, cobalt, lithium, and gold reserves to Western investors.
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation expressed interest in taking an equity stake in a venture with Gecamines and Mercuria.
The partnership may expand to germanium and gallium, critical for semiconductors and solar energy, according to the two companies’ statement.
Gecamines chairman Guy Robert Lukama called the collaboration a pivotal step in enhancing Congo’s influence on global metals markets.
Under the potential deal, U.S. end-users would receive a right of first refusal on copper and cobalt supplies, ensuring responsible sourcing.
Mercuria will provide trading expertise, financing, logistics, and risk management training, while the venture plans investments in export infrastructure.
The initiative seeks to boost transparency and competitiveness, supporting traceable artisanal cobalt and easing export bottlenecks in the top cobalt producer.
DFC also signalled support for rehabilitating Congo’s Dilolo–Sakania railway line, connecting to Angola’s Lobito Atlantic Railway, creating a strategic corridor across Central Africa.
Kostas Bintas, Mercuria’s metals head, described the venture as “a redefinition of how Congo interacts with global metals markets,” highlighting its transformative ambition.
