Senate hearing on critical minerals reveals U.S. strategy in Africa

UPI

6 days ago

'Africa is not just a source of raw materials. It is a rising global force in the world economy,' U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said at a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday in Washington focused on rare earth minerals in Africa that cane be valuable to the United States.. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- As the 119th Congress wraps up its final sessions before the August recess, senators turned their attention Wednesday to securing U.S. access to critical minerals in Africa, an increasingly urgent priority amid global competition.
"The economy, the energy transition and even the defense supply chains depend on the Chinese Communist Party. The United States relies heavily on China to refine critical minerals, even those that originate in Africa," Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said during a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy hearing.
With demand for lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements expected to soar over the next decade, the United States is seeking strategic alternatives to its current dependence on China-dominated supply chains.
Africa, home to roughly 30% of the world's critical mineral reserves, has emerged as a central focus of this reorientation.
"We are in crisis, and not enough people recognize the crisis that we're in. It demands action. We know the strategic work of these materials," said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. "I believe the United States is trailing behind in this global competition and not exercising strength, power and focus."
The hearing revealed a bipartisan consensus on the need to deepen diplomatic and commercial engagement with African countries to ensure long-term access to these materials. Countries of particular importance are South Africa, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
"The extraction processing and refining and manufacturing of critical minerals is complex, but it is also an opportunity to shape the U.S. and reshape U.S.-Africa relations from aid-based to investment led engagement," Cruz said.
Senators emphasized that minerals are not merely commodities, but also strategic assets tied to national security, defense readiness and industrial competitiveness. As the United States accelerates its investments in electric vehicles, grid storage and advanced manufacturing, the need for a diversified and reliable supply of critical minerals has taken on new geopolitical weight.
Lawmakers also examined the barriers that currently hamper U.S. efforts to scale mineral partnerships with African nations. These include insufficient financing tools, inconsistent diplomatic presence and a fragmented interagency approach.
China, by contrast, has spent the past two decades building robust, state-backed relationships with African governments, locking up long-term access to key minerals through infrastructure investments, loan diplomacy and mining concessions.
"Africa is central to our strategy to address this challenge. The continent is home to vast preserves of critical minerals, including cobalt, lithium, tantalum and graphite, which are indispensable for technologies such as batteries," said Jonathan Pratt, a State Department senior bureau official in the Bureau of African Affairs.
The United States, as the senators suggested, is now playing catch-up. And Pratt shared the State Department's prioritization of U.S.-Africa relations and critical minerals.
"The United States is committed to making targeted investments in infrastructure to facilitate the export of minerals from Africa to global markets," Pratt said. "A prime example is the Lobito Corridor, which provides an alternative to Chinese-controlled transportation routes."
The Lobito Corridor is a railway system that links mineral-rich areas of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola's Atlantic coast, providing a Western-aligned route to export critical minerals. Despite the Trump administration's broader "America First," approach, the administration continues to support this project.
Although the senators pointed out challenges, the hearing placed a spotlight on several opportunities in that African nations are increasingly looking for alternatives to Chinese influence and are receptive to transparent, mutually beneficial partnerships.
They were told that American companies and development finance institutions have a chance to support more ethical, environmentally responsible mining practices, while also fostering value-added processing and infrastructure development in African countries.
There was repeated emphasis on creating deals that are not extractive, but instead foster local development and build trust.
"My team has worked side by side with our colleagues in the African Affairs Bureau in pursuit of projects helping our supply chains and support the administration's approach of building up trade with our African partners rather than being in a shocking to dependence on aid," said Scott Woodard, the State Department acting deputy assistant secretary of economic growth, energy and environment.
"Supporting these projects, building up these supply chains and investing our time and effort into these relationships will benefit us all and bring greater security and prosperity to the United States," Woodard said.
The hearing also linked critical minerals to broader themes in U.S. foreign policy, one being that stronger mineral ties could anchor long-term strategic relationships, promote economic resilience and support African countries' development goals.
Still, Democratic senators warned that this effort cannot succeed without consistent diplomatic engagement.
"The Trump administration terminated labor, environmental and peace building programs that supported vulnerable communities in conflict areas where critical minerals become source of corruption and destruction," Booker said.
Several African countries still lack confirmed U.S. ambassadors and the role of assistant Secretary of State of African affairs remains vacant, hampering relationship-building at a time when it is most needed, he said.
Despite bipartisan support, the Trump administration previously proposed a 77% cut to the Millennium Challenge Corp.'s budget, raising questions about the U.S. commitment to sustained economic engagement in the region.
The Millennium Challenge Corp. is a U.S. foreign aid agency created by Congress in 2004 to promote economic growth and reduce poverty in developing countries.
Booker added, "The Trump administration stopped the U.S. Geological Surveys in African countries to help locate and extend critical minerals."
The takeaway from the hearing was clear: if the United States is serious about competing in the global energy economy and countering authoritarian influence, it must reimagine its presence in Africa -- as a trading partner and long term collaborator.
"Africa is not just a source of raw materials. It is a rising global force in the world economy," Booker said.
Securing critical minerals will require not just transactional deals, but a durable, values based strategy that integrates diplomacy, finance and development assistance, he said.