US invests $1.4M in Zambian mine expansion to rival China

The United States is ramping up efforts to secure critical minerals outside China’s control, backing the expansion of a copper and cobalt facility in Zambia.

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded on Thursday a $1.4-million grant to Metalex Africa, a subsidiary of US-based Metalex Commodities, to finance a feasibility study for expanding the company’s Kazozu mine in Zambia’s North-Western province. 

The study will assess whether the mine can produce up to 25,000 additional metric tonnes of copper and cobalt concentrates annually.

USTDA officials said the initiative is designed to link Metalex with American buyers while opening opportunities for US companies to supply equipment, materials, and expertise for the expansion.

“USTDA’s partnership with Metalex will help ensure that US industries can reliably access the inputs they need to remain secure, competitive, and prepared to meet the challenges of the future,” acting director Thomas R. Hardy said in a statement.

“By leveraging US technology and expertise, this project will help expand Zambia’s mining sector, advancing responsible resource development to benefit both our nations.”

Metalex chief executive Ayo Sopitan called the grant a milestone, saying it would help expand resources, define project phases, and establish the feasibility of scaling up the Kazozu operation. The project is a joint venture with Zambian company Terra Metals.

Weakening China’s lead

The investment aligns with Washington’s broader strategy to build the Lobito Corridor, a US-backed transport and trade network linking Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

The corridor centres on a 1,700-kilometre railway from Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito to the DRC’s mining hub of Kolwezi, with an extension planned into Zambia’s Copperbelt province.

The US has framed the corridor as a strategic alternative to Chinese-backed infrastructure across Africa. China maintains dominance in the region’s mining sector, including near-total control of processing and refining capacity. It continues to expand its presence, most recently through JCHX Mining’s acquisition of an 80% stake in Zambia’s Lubambe copper mine.

Washington’s support goes beyond USTDA. During Joe Biden’s presidency, the US International Development Finance Corporation committed about $550 million to railway and port upgrades, while the Millennium Challenge Corporation is funding rural road and agriculture improvements in Zambia. 

US-based KoBold Metals, backed by investors including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, has also pledged to make its Mingomba copper and cobalt project an anchor for the Lobito railway.

The combined push highlights the Trump administration’s relentless efforts to loosen China’s hold on the global mineral supply chain while boosting the nation’s own industrial resilience.