President Biden’s recent trip to Angola sought to offer African countries a U.S.-led alternative to China’s dominance in the critical mineral sector, says USIP’s Thomas Sheehy: “The hope is that we can operate in the same environment [as China] and raise the standards and ultimately have Africans expect higher standards” from international investors.

Type: Podcast

President Joe Biden traveled to Angola this week, the first time a sitting U.S. head of state has been to the African continent since 2015 and the first-ever trip by an American president to Angola. Biden is looking to build on the growing U.S.-Angola relationship and to secure U.S. access to Africa’s critical minerals, which power everyday consumer technologies and beyond. China has long dominated that market, making the U.S. reliant on its principal strategic competitor for these key resources. The U.S. and its G7 partners launched the Lobito Corridor project — spanning Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia — in 2023 to enhance its access to these minerals and spur local and regional economic development and connectivity.

Type: Question and Answer

Demand for critical minerals is expected to skyrocket in the decades ahead. These minerals — such as copper, cobalt and lithium, among others — power the electronics we use every day and are essential for transitioning to greener energy technologies. The U.S. is increasingly working with African partners to develop the continent’s abundant critical minerals, an effort that is vital to advancing U.S. economic and national security interests. It also will have major implications for African countries: How these critical minerals are developed will significantly impact the continent’s economic future and beyond, even affecting peace and stability. This increasing U.S. policy focus comes against the backdrop of intensifying U.S. geopolitical competition with China, which dominates many African mining sectors.

Type: Analysis

The Lobito Corridor is an ambitious infrastructure project stretching from the port of Lobito on Angola’s Atlantic coast to Zambia through the Democratic Republic of Congo. It promises to boost trade and the regional economy by allowing inland mining and agriculture sectors to connect with broader markets. USIP’s Thomas Sheehy discusses his recent trip to parts of the corridor, where he saw the progress being made toward its development.

Type: Blog