US firms look to Pakistan for critical mineral supplies
• Smaller mines and larger copper, antimony projects under consideration • US Embassy official says Reko Diq moving forward, but slower than expected • Encourages Pakistan to provide level playing field to American firms • Finance minister, US trade representative review progress on bilateral trade talks ISLAMABAD: Amid a big push from the Trump administration to secure global critical mineral…
US firms are looking to Pakistan to secure critical mineral supply chains, following a push by the Trump administration. Smaller mines and larger copper and antimony projects are under consideration. The US Embassy official stated that while the Reko Diq copper-gold project in Balochistan is moving forward, it is slower than expected.
The project is backed by a $1.25 billion commitment from the US Exim Bank. Discussions on bilateral trade between Pakistan and the US saw Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reaffirm their commitment to concluding a trade agreement. Pakistan is rich in critical minerals, including antimony, which is essential for aerospace manufacturing, semiconductors, and defense equipment.
US companies are working with Pakistani authorities to explore investment opportunities, including trade operations to buy offtakes from small mines for use or processing in the US. The US Embassy official acknowledged security challenges in Balochistan but noted that opportunities exist due to the high returns from mineral deposits in areas like Chitral, Waziristan, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
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