U.S. Signs Critical Minerals Deal with Uzbekistan to Counter China’s Resource Dominance in Central Asia

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on February 18, 2026. Image via @USTradeRep

By Marc Jones

The U.S. government has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to secure better access to the Central Asian country’s critical minerals, as U.S. President Donald Trump moves to counter China’s dominance of crucial resources and their supply chains.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

Detected IP: ...