Rosa Ventures’ Post

As geopolitical tensions electrify the global scramble for critical minerals—the raw materials that underpin advanced defense systems and clean energy technologies—the United States and China have been racing to expand their influence over the mineral market in Africa.  Worried about strategic vulnerabilities, Washington is now ramping up efforts to carve out a stake in the critical minerals sector. In one of the most ambitious U.S. infrastructure bids in Africa yet, the Biden administration has pledged to lend hundreds of millions of dollars toward reviving the Lobito Corridor, a 1,200 mile-long railway that would transport critical minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to the Angolan coast. The DRC is home to the world’s biggest cobalt reserves, while Zambia is rich in copper. https://lnkd.in/eCtfh2ES

In a significant move to strengthen global critical mineral supply chains, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Washington on October 1, 2024. This collaboration marks a crucial step in the U.S. strategy to secure essential minerals, reducing dependency on single-country dominance—namely China and Russia—over critical minerals that are indispensable to various industries, including clean energy and defense. https://bit.ly/4eIMUkv

A new USIP report emphasizes the importance of the United States government being engaged in the African critical minerals sector if it is to diminish its dependence on China and fortify its national security and foreign policy interests. https://lnkd.in/e5VEP9KX

Rivalry between the world’s two most powerful nations is driving a rush to build strategic export-focused #railway #infrastructure in #Africa on a scale not seen since the height of the Cold War. Washington’s $500m commitment to the minerals export-focused #LobitoCorridor has been countered by a $1bn Chinese proposal to rehabilitate the creaking Tazara line. The two megaprojects will have terminals close together in the #Copperbelt, but geopolitical considerations are likely to prevent any interconnection, writes Marc Howard. #US #China #criticalminerals #transitionminerals #energy #investment #geopolitics #finance

“The Lobito Corridor is emblematic of Washington’s broader ambitions of de-risking ties with China amid growing concerns over its critical mineral supply chain dominance. The push follows a long line of legislation aimed at boosting the domestic industry in the United States, perhaps most notably the Biden administration’s sweeping Inflation Reduction Act, which is aimed at accelerating the development of an American EV industry. Outside of the Inflation Reduction Act, Washington has attempted to strengthen supply chain security by strengthening ties with friendly partners, including Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, through the Minerals Security Partnership. “ #contestedlogistics #africa #angola #supplychain #supplychainsecurity Hayes Group International Ryan McKinney Kris Faught Zolana Joao, D.Eng Jason P. Rob Townley

Africa is letting its critical and strategic minerals escape without being able to add value to them. China, through the Belt and Road Initiative, has built the critical infrastructure ( ports and railways) necessary for the transportation of many of them. Its projects on the east coast reach Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti, South Sudan...China seems to be the natural alternative to the IMF or the WB for many countries. But given the growing relevance of critical minerals, Washington rolls up its sleeves and announces the agreement to develop one of the largest railway projects on the west African coast. Can the Chinese projects of the Belt and Road Initiative, the American Build Back Better or the European Global Gateway coexist in Africa? Will African countries be abale to ensure that part of the value added to minerals and the jobs to transform them are retained in their soil? https://lnkd.in/d3X925Tq

Following on to the Biden- Zelenskyy during UNGA week and in line with Pillar 4 of Ukraine's Victory Plan, the U.S. and Ukraine are set to deepen their critical minerals cooperation. Under Secretary Jose W. Fernandez and Yulia Svyrydenko will sign an agreement on strategic cooperation on October 29 in Washington. Investment potential is vast to meet the Euro-Atlantic's growing demand for critical supply chain needs to innovate in green energy and digital technology. In fact, Ukraine has deposits of 22 out of the EU’s 34 critical minerals and metals including iron, titanium, manganese, lithium and nickel. This is an initial step to accelerating exploration and investment in this geopolitically critical sector in Ukraine.

President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden: “The countries that take decisive action now to create the industries of the future will be the ones that reap the economic benefits of the clean energy boom that’s coming.”  The US and the European Union are in talks to join forces in addressing the dominance of China in critical minerals. They plan to merge the EU's policy approach with the US focus on specific projects, combining the critical raw materials club concept with the "Minerals Security Partnership". The "Minerals Security Partnership", Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Sweden, the UK, U.S., and the EU (read more: https://lnkd.in/gTJQwMYS) aims to coordinate outreach efforts and collaboration on projects and policies between developed countries and resource-rich nations. About us: www.Critical-Minerals.info Follow us: https://lnkd.in/dZKutJR9.

Doing some kind of value addition for extracted minerals is one of the most important things that Africa can do to move up the value chain I’m glad that ReElement Technologies is working on this

USA ja Norja allekirjoittivat yhteistyösopimuksen kriittisten mineraalien markkinalähtöisen kaupan edistämiseksi. Tuo maininta, että Norja on suurin koboltin tuoja Yhdysvaltoihin on ennenkin pistänyt silmään: "Norway is the number one exporter of cobalt to the U.S., the number three exporter of nickel. We are the largest producer of graphite in Europe. Our geology is full of these minerals, so it is for us important to establish these links, which I think brings us together economically but also secures a strategic partnership not only in – as ever in the military and political field, but also in the economic field. It will build security, resilience, reliability in the value chains, and it will make it more easy to work forward faster, both to be more sovereign and secure on – as Western countries together, but also to accelerate the green shift." #kriittisetmateriaalit #yhdysvallat #norja #kriittisetmineraalit #markkinat https://lnkd.in/dfv2K6jA