China Gains Ground Over U.S. in Latin America But USA FDI Far Greater! Could Critical Minerals be the Bigger Prize

Highlights

• 65% of Latin Americans view China's influence positively vs. 57% for the U.S., yet the U.S. still holds a stronger overall country image in the region.
• China has invested $10.05 billion in Latin American mining since 2014 versus $8.38 billion from the U.S., but U.S. total FDI still dwarfs China's at 38% vs. under 5% of regional inflows.
• Latin America produces ~40% of global mined copper and ~25% of lithium but refines only 20% of key energy minerals it mines, creating a processing gap Beijing is targeting.
• China's strategic concentration in mining, energy, and infrastructure gives it outsized supply-chain leverage relative to its headline FDI share.
• Public sentiment favoring China's influence could reduce political friction for Beijing's capital in critical mineral sectors, posing long-term offtake risks for Washington.