The United States is looking to enhance its investments in the critical minerals sector in Liberia

The U.S. State Department announced on Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed with his Liberian counterpart Sarah Bisiulu Nyanti ways to expand U.S. participation in the critical minerals sector in Liberia during a meeting held last week in Washington.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated that the meeting addressed strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and opening new investment and trade opportunities, with a focus on providing jobs and achieving sustainable economic growth for both the United States and Liberia.

This move comes within a broader context, as the United States updated its list of critical minerals last August, with plans to add copper, potash, and silver, which are abundantly available in Africa, opening the door for new financing and investments for producing countries.

Aubrey Hruby, head of the critical minerals task force at the Atlantic Council's Africa Center, explained that the inclusion of these minerals allows for new support channels from the U.S. government. Duncan Wood, founder of Hurst International Consulting, noted that this list could pave the way for broader dialogue between Washington and producing African countries, extending beyond mineral purchases to include investment in infrastructure projects.

Africa is home to nearly 30% of the world's critical mineral reserves and ranks as the largest investment destination in mining after Latin America and Canada. Africa received about 13.9% of total foreign direct investment in the mining sector between 2018 and 2022, with a cumulative amount of $77 billion, highlighting the continent's growing role in global critical mineral markets.