- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
• Critical Minerals Forum chief meets Aurangzeb
• Islamabad welcomes move; asks team to revert with a detailed framework for collaboration
ISLAMABAD: A leading US delegation met with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Friday, seeking to build secure and transparent mineral supply chains for American industry amid Washington’s growing concerns over China’s upper hand in global rare earth materials.
The delegation led by Robert Louis Strayer II, president of the US government-funded Critical Minerals Forum (CMF), “discussed avenues of cooperation in the minerals and mining sector, strengthening supply-chain security, and encouraging responsible and sustainable investment in Pakistan’s critical minerals landscape” with a Pakistani team headed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, according to an official statement.
The meeting took place as the US and India announced a 10-year defence framework agreement.
The CMF’s focus is driven by the strategic threat posed by Beijing’s control over key resources. “China’s dominance of critical mineral supply chains has become a well-known threat to US national security, economic competitiveness, and long-term strategic objectives,” Strayer wrote in his only article on the CMF website.
Mr Strayer told Pakistan that the CMF is working globally to support reliable supply chains for US industry, particularly in emerging markets.
The forum, he said, “focused on rare and niche metals, including copper and antimony, and aims to de-risk investments from both financial and security perspectives”.
He also promised a commitment to support technology transfer, intellectual property protection, and US private-sector investor confidence.
Mr Strayer noted that the US viewed Pakistan’s science, engineering, and mathematics talent as a competitive advantage and “acknowledged Pakistan’s potential to become a future hub for critical mineral development,” the statement added.
Natalie Baker, the US Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad who accompanied the delegation, noted the Embassy’s support for American commercial engagement in Pakistan and “emphasised the importance of ensuring strong investor confidence and enabling regulatory frameworks in the minerals sector”.
In response, Mr Aurangzeb said Pakistan is working on significant legal and regulatory reforms and would welcome structured proposals. “We encourage you to return with a detailed framework for collaboration. Pakistan will evaluate it with a view to facilitating responsible investment and ensuring mutual benefit,” the minister said.
Mr Aurangzeb also positioned Pakistan as navigating a complex geopolitical landscape, highlighting its strengthened partnerships. “Pakistan today stands at a constructive intersection of global relationships—renewed momentum in Pakistan-US ties, time-tested relations with China, and forward-looking strategic cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
He stressed that Pakistan’s mineral sector represents a “transformational opportunity” that could shift the country from “consumption-driven cycles to export-led growth.”
He added, “A strong minerals policy framework will help Pakistan break the cycle of periodic balance-of-payments pressures and reduce future reliance on multilateral support.”
The minister also updated the delegation that during his recent visit to Washington he met multiple global financial institutions, including Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and International Finance Corporation (IFC), which expressed interest in expanding investments in Pakistan.
US stakeholders are concerned about China’s growing control over global critical minerals. The CMF president noted Chinese dominance stems from government subsidies, vertical integration, and lax regulations, especially in processing, which is energy and compliance-dependent, contrasting with US under-investment.
According to the influential US Atlantic Council, critical minerals are foundational to the modern economy and state power, essential for advanced technologies in energy, military, and commercial applications. They range from permanent magnets in fighter jets to batteries in electric vehicles.
The Atlantic Council warned that these “supply chains have become increasingly brittle: concentrated in a handful of countries, overwhelmingly refined in China, and increasingly exposed to extreme weather disruption.” It noted that China has shown a “willingness to weaponise its dominance”, tightening export restrictions on materials like graphite and antimony in retaliation for US trade controls.
However, a major obstacle to US investment remains, Strayer said, citing the “unusually high uncertainty of both production costs and mineral prices”.
He added that this uncertainty has “a chilling effect on new investment by profit-seeking companies, as investors prefer to make investments in projects with higher risk-adjusted expected profits.”
Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2025
from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/4j7Ag9c
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps