The State Department has communicated to Digital its efforts to mitigate the “national security” risk to the U.S. stemming from China’s dominance in the rare earth minerals sector, with new indications suggesting that can aid Washington in loosening Beijing’s firm control over this crucial industry.
The 17 rare earth elements (REE) are metals deemed “critical for both human and national security,” as stated by the Brookings Institution in 2022. They further elaborated that these elements “are utilized in electronics (such as computers, televisions, and smartphones), in renewable energy technology (including wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicle batteries), and in national defense applications (like jet engines, missile guidance and defense systems, satellites, and GPS equipment).”
Brookings reports that China is responsible for 60% of the world’s rare earth mineral extraction and holds 85% of the processing capacity.
However, despite Beijing securing agreements in African nations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to transport minerals such as cobalt eastward to , the continent possesses vast unexploited resources. The African Union’s Minerals Development Center recently announced that substantial new specialized rare earth mines are projected to become operational by 2029 in Tanzania, Angola, Malawi, and South Africa, potentially supplying nearly 10% of the global market.
This situation is leading the Trump administration to intensify efforts to expand the U.S. presence in Africa’s mining industry. Just this week, a State Department spokesperson informed Digital that “The administration’s strategy emphasizes partnerships with African nations to ensure their minerals are directed westward, rather than eastward to China.”
In Africa, China is a focus of Washington’s security concerns, with the spokesperson adding, “China’s overwhelming position in global mineral supply chains — particularly in processing and refining — poses a threat to the interests of both the U.S. and Africa. Beijing’s state-directed tactics exploit Africa’s natural wealth, solidify control over upstream mining assets, perpetuate non-transparent governance frameworks, degrade local environments, and foster economic dependencies that destabilize regional peace.”
Various sources indicate that the U.S. currently imports approximately 70% of its total rare earth element requirements from China.
, R-Idaho, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, conveyed to Digital that Beijing presents a risk in this area: “Reliance on China for essential minerals required for a modern economy constitutes a major national security vulnerability that President Biden failed to address for four years. Under President Trump’s leadership, we can secure new sources in Africa, strengthen our alliances there, and guarantee that America’s defense capabilities are never dependent on our adversaries.”
The administration is seeking to deepen its engagement in Africa, as the State Department spokesperson added, “The United States is committed to making strategic investments in infrastructure to facilitate the export of minerals from Africa to international markets. A prime example is the Lobito Corridor, which offers an alternative to Chinese-controlled transportation routes for minerals from Africa’s Copperbelt to the Atlantic Ocean.”
The administration recently announced its continued pledge of a $550 million loan for the development of the Lobito Corridor, an 800-mile rail and infrastructure link connecting the mineral-rich regions of the DRC and Zambia with Angola’s Atlantic coast, providing convenient shipping access to the U.S.
The spokesperson went on to state that one of the primary benefits of the peace agreement, signed between the DRC and Rwanda in the Oval Office in June to end a 30-year conflict, is enhanced access to minerals. They added, “The bilateral agreement between the U.S. and DRC is designed to create opportunities for new U.S. and U.S.-aligned investments in key mining projects throughout the DRC.”
Analysts, including Dr. Gracelin Baskaran, suggest this represents a new era of opportunity for the U.S. in Africa. Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, informed Digital, “Africa is the ultimate frontier for mineral discovery. It has long been undervalued in global mineral exploration, despite yielding some of the highest returns per dollar invested.”
“The [African] continent’s portion of global exploration expenditure has steadily decreased — from 16% in 2004 to just 10.4% in 2024,” Baskaran further stated. “This decline is particularly remarkable, given that is the world’s most cost-effective region for mineral exploration, with a mineral-value-to-exploration-spending ratio of 0.8 — significantly higher than Australia (0.5), Canada (0.6), and Latin America (0.3).”
“Despite its vast geological promise and a landmass three times the combined size of Australia and Canada, those two countries attracted 15.9% and 19.8% of global exploration spending in 2024, respectively — greatly surpassing Africa’s total share.”
Baskaran asserts that the U.S. can also capitalize on another aspect in Africa: “China rarely engages in geological mapping or initial exploration. The Chinese approach typically involves acquiring projects once they are already under development or nearing the production stage. This presents a genuine opportunity for the United States and its allies. Even nations with extensive mining histories — such as Zambia and the DRC — have barely scratched the surface, with less than half their land mapped. With strategic investments in geological mapping and early-stage project development, the United States and its allies could establish a much stronger foothold across the continent.”
Regarding potential locations for U.S. mining efforts, analyst C. Géraud Neema from the independent China-Global South Project (CGSP) told Digital that “In the context of heavy rare earth minerals in Africa, Namibia is a country that offers an alternative to China for supply,” adding, “Namibia’s Lofdal project is particularly significant.”