Rare Earth Exchanges

Center for Strategic & International Studies Interviews Zambia Leadership-Western Critical Mineral Moves

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Highlights

  • Zambia’s election of President Hichilema in 2021 sparked investor-friendly policies, doubling annual exploration investment.
  • U.S. and Zambia forge strategic partnership in copper sector, including the Lobito Corridor Project and battery supply chain MOU.
  • CSIS highlights potential transformative cooperation while raising critical questions about economic benefits and sustainable development.

After years of volatile policies and divestment, the election of Zambian President Hakinde Hichilema (opens in a new tab) in 2021 ushered in a suite of investor-friendly policies that led to a sharp rise in Western mining investment. Zambia’s annual exploration investment has more than doubled between 2019 and 2024 according to an interview with the Center for Strategic & International Studies (opens in a new tab) (CSIS).

The United States and Zambia have made significant strides in minerals cooperation, particularly in the critical copper sector, a key resource for renewable energy and advanced technologies reports join Gracelin Baskaran, PhD (opens in a new tab), Director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at CSIS.

Ms. Baskaran interviews His Excellency Chibamba Kanyama (opens in a new tab), Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia to the United States, and Jito Kayumba (opens in a new tab), Special Assistant to the President of Zambia for Finance and Investment.

According to a recent interview between key developments include increased U.S. engagement in Zambia’s expanding copper production, the ambitious Lobito Corridor Project aimed at enhancing regional infrastructure, and the groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding between the United States, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to develop a sustainable battery supply chain.

Furthermore, the establishment of the first-ever Commercial Service Office at the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka (opens in a new tab) underscores a growing commitment to economic partnership and investment in Zambia’s resource economy.

These initiatives highlight the potential for transformative cooperation, but critical questions remain: How can Zambia maximize economic benefits while balancing environmental and social considerations in copper production? Will U.S. investments foster equitable, sustainable development, or could they inadvertently exacerbate regional inequalities? Additionally, what measures are in place to ensure transparency, given the complex dynamics of mining and trade within the region?

Summary

CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program offers this compelling conversation featuring His Excellency Chibamba Kanyama, Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States, and Jito Kayumba, Special Assistant to the President of Zambia for Finance and Investment. Moderated by Gracelin Baskaran, Director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at CSIS, this discussion will explore the opportunities, challenges, and future of U.S.-Zambia minerals cooperation, with a particular focus on copper’s role in the global energy transition.

Support

This event is made possible through general funding to CSIS and the CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program (opens in a new tab). As a nonpartisan institution and the world’s leading national security think tank, CSIS continues to deliver innovative, bipartisan solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

See the interview here (opens in a new tab).

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