• Zambia rejects preferential terms for U.S. companies in its mining sector

• Dispute tied to tensions over a $2 billion health aid agreement

• Lusaka insists on separating mineral deals from health negotiations

Zambia does not plan to grant preferential treatment to U.S. companies in its critical minerals sector. Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe made this clear on May 4, against a backdrop of tensions between Lusaka and Washington over the implementation of a $2 billion health aid agreement.

For several months, the United States has sought to conclude new health aid agreements with a number of African countries, including Ghana and Zimbabwe. However, negotiations have struggled to move forward, with the countries involved raising concerns over clauses that require the sharing of sensitive health data. In Zambia’s case, this issue also comes with disagreements over a possible link between the health agreement and a partnership on critical minerals.

Responding to a recent statement by Michael Gonzales, the minister clarified Lusaka’s position. He first stressed that the government is concerned about any attempt to tie the critical minerals agreement to the health deal, and prefers to treat the two issues separately. He also said Zambia remains reluctant to include provisions that would grant preferential treatment to U.S. companies in the critical minerals sector.

He explained that one of the main reasons behind Zambia’s hesitation to accept the proposed agreement is the insistence on preferential access for U.S. firms to Zambian critical minerals. The government believes that Zambians must have a say in how their resources are used and that no strategic partner should receive preferential treatment.

A different approach from the Congolese experience

With this position, Zambia aims to avoid granting the United States an advantage similar to the one recently secured in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As part of a broader rapprochement, linked to efforts to address the conflict with the M23 group and strengthen mining cooperation, Kinshasa granted Washington preferential access to its critical minerals. This arrangement included the presentation of a list of strategic mining projects to U.S. companies, with the aim of encouraging their involvement.

However, while the Congolese initiative took place in a context shaped by a clear effort to diversify a mining sector largely dominated by China, Zambia’s situation reflects somewhat different dynamics. As Africa’s second-largest copper producer after the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia aims to raise its output to 3 million tons by 2031, up from 890,346 tons in 2025.

This objective is already supported by a diversified base of investors, including Canada’s First Quantum Minerals and Barrick Mining, China’s JCHX Mining Management and China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group (CNMC), India’s Vedanta Resources, and the U.S.-backed KoBold Metals. Achieving this target will likely require additional investors, such as the UAE’s International Resources Holdings (IRH), which entered the country in 2024. Beyond copper, Zambia also holds resources in cobalt, nickel, and graphite.

For now, the future of the agreements under discussion between Zambia and the United States remains uncertain, given the differences between the two sides. While Lusaka says it remains committed to its bilateral relationship with Washington, the U.S. position appears more demanding, particularly on critical minerals.

The outcome of these discussions could affect joint initiatives, including the Lobito Corridor linking Zambia to Angola, a project that has received support from the White House.

Aurel Sèdjro Houenou