By signing the strategic partnership agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United States achieved two key objectives in its critical minerals strategy: first, securing preferential access to copper, cobalt, zinc, gold, and other minerals considered strategic; and second, establishing a regulatory framework that makes further Chinese expansion in the DRC’s mining sector politically difficult.
Concluded in Washington following the peace and economic integration agreements negotiated between the DRC and Rwanda, this agreement creates a mining and industrial partnership offering priority access to U.S. companies and individuals, as well as to “aligned persons and countries” of the United States, for the exploitation and marketing of critical Congolese minerals.
