The Trump administration could be on the verge of striking another massive mineral investment deal — this time with the Democratic Republic of Congo — as Washington quietly positions itself to loosen China’s chokehold on global resource supply chains.
Top Congolese officials are reportedly hopeful that a formal pact with the United States can be finalized as early as next month. The deal would funnel billions into the U.S. economy while also bringing stability to a conflict-torn region that holds some of the world’s most valuable untapped mineral wealth.
For years, the DRC has served as the beating heart of the global mineral trade, fueling everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. The nation is sitting on nearly half the world’s cobalt reserves — a critical component for EV batteries — as well as vast stores of tantalum, tin, and tungsten, all vital to modern electronics and military applications.
But there’s a catch: China has had a vice grip on these resources for years. The Chinese Communist Party currently controls more than two-thirds of the DRC’s cobalt mining operations. Beyond that, it processes over 70% of the world’s cobalt, 59% of lithium, 68% of nickel, and nearly 40% of copper, according to research cited by Visual Capitalist. That dominance has given Beijing an enormous advantage over the U.S. in the global clean tech race.
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