New Delhi: Pakistan has dispatched its first consignment of rare earth minerals to the United States, marking a significant milestone in the countries’ growing economic and strategic partnership. The shipment comes under an agreement between US Strategic Metals (USSM) and Pakistan, signed in September, aimed at establishing a comprehensive collaboration across the mineral value chain.
The initial consignment, prepared with support from Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), includes antimony, copper concentrate, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium. USSM plans to invest nearly $500 million in mineral processing and development facilities in Pakistan, signaling a move to integrate the country into the global critical minerals supply chain.
According to USSM, the delivery represents “a milestone in the Pakistan-US strategic partnership” and sets out a roadmap covering exploration, processing, and the establishment of refineries within Pakistan. USSM CEO Stacy W. Hastie called the shipment “an exciting chapter of collaboration” that will expand trade and strengthen ties between the two nations.
The deal could provide Pakistan with a foothold in the global critical minerals market, potentially generating billions in revenue, creating jobs, and enabling technology transfer. Pakistan’s untapped mineral reserves are valued at around $6 trillion, placing the country among the world’s richest in natural resources. For the United States, the collaboration ensures greater access to essential raw materials and reduces reliance on dominant global suppliers.
However, the agreement has drawn criticism from the opposition. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram expressed concerns over what he described as “secretive and lopsided deals” with Washington, including the recent shipment and reports about offering Pasni Port to the US. He demanded that full details of such agreements be made public and warned against decisions taken at the expense of national interests.
Military sources have dismissed the Pasni Port report as a “commercial idea” rather than official policy. Akram also drew a historical parallel, citing the 1615 Mughal decision to grant trading rights to the British at Surat Port, which eventually led to colonial control.
The rare earth minerals shipment comes amid rising tensions between Pakistan’s ruling parties, with Akram alleging that public disputes between PPP and PML-N are a deliberate attempt to distract from pressing national issues.
This first delivery is seen as a strategic step to tap Pakistan’s mineral wealth while strengthening bilateral trade and industrial collaboration with the United States.
