March 3, 2025
Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick (for herself and Mr. Jackson of Illinois) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Expressing support for the strengthening of United States-Africa partnerships in critical minerals development.
Whereas critical minerals are essential to United States national security and economic interests;
Whereas global critical minerals supply chains on which many United States firms and defense needs rely are substantially controlled by foreign entities of concern (FEOC), notably including multiple commercial entities based in or aided by the People’s Republic of China (PRC);
Whereas multiple PRC commercial actors are foreign entities of concern, as defined under United States law: entities owned and controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a government of a foreign country, such as the PRC, that may engage in activity detrimental to United States interests;
Whereas the International Monetary Fund estimates that sub-Saharan Africa holds 30 percent of the volume of proven critical mineral reserves, and at least 20 African countries export a range of minerals and metals, including those that are deemed critical
to United States national security and economic interests;
Whereas critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and nickel are essential to a clean energy transition, consumer electronics, and the United States defense industrial base;
Whereas some African nations are seeking to increase investments in their critical mineral mining and processing sectors as a means of fostering greater national mineral-related value-added refining, processing, earnings, and related socioeconomic development in their countries;
Whereas responsible mining—mining that is pursued in a manner that is environmentally and legally sound, socioeconomically inclusive, and well-governed—produces sustainable state revenues, local employment, technological transfer and community development;
Whereas poorly governed and unregulated mining frequently produces corruption, labor abuses, environmental degradation, and violent conflict;
Whereas the United States-initiated Mineral Security Partnership was established in 2022 and is composed of 14 countries and the European Union committed to catalyzing public and private investment in high standard-based development of critical mineral supply chains and responsible mining practices globally;
Whereas, in 2022, the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to support these two countries’ commitment to develop jointly a supply chain for electric vehicle batteries;
Whereas the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that between $180 billion and $220 billion are expected to be invested in the mining of critical minerals between 2022 and 2030, but that only 10 percent of such amount are slated to be invested in Africa;
Whereas, in 2023, the United States was 82 percent or more net-reliant on imports from abroad for supplies of at least 29 critical minerals, including 14 rare earth elements, and substantially import-reliant on other critical minerals and other technology-essential mined commodities; and
Whereas the often-substantial degree of PRC control over critical mineral supply chains, including through PRC-origin foreign entities of concern and the PRC’s imposition of licensing regimes that could potentially restrict PRC exports of selected essential critical minerals pose grave national security risks to the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Tt is the sense of the House of Representatives that—
(1)
United States policy should seek to—
(A)
diversify the sources of supplies of critical minerals in a manner that prevents Foreign Entities of Concerns (FEOCs) from restricting, increasing the cost, or otherwise negatively affecting United States access to these resources;
(B)
improve the efficacy, efficiency, and coordination of United States Federal agencies working to help businesses invest in critical minerals in foreign countries friendly to the United States, including through these agencies’ implementation of United States Government commitments under the United States-led multinational Minerals Security Partnership (MSP); and
(C)
enhance mutually beneficial partnership with countries in Africa that produce or possess reserves of critical minerals by—
(i)
mobilizing and supporting investments in new or expanded critical mineral production and processing projects in African markets in order to bolster equitable and transparent global market-based access to African mineral production and promote responsible sourcing and value-added processing of critical minerals in Africa;
(ii)
providing incentives, such as financing or technical assistance, for United States business, and businesses in African countries friendly to the United States to invest in such mineral sector production and processing projects of strategic interest to the United States; and
(iii)
urging the administration to transform the Memorandum of Understanding among the United States of America, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Zambia concerning support for the development of a value chain in the electric vehicle battery sector into a meaningful investment program that can be modelled and implemented throughout the continent; and
(2)
the House of Representatives urges the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretaries of Commerce, Energy, the Interior, Treasury, and Defense, the United States Agency for International Development, the Development Finance Corporation, the United States Export-Import Bank, and any other relevant Federal agencies as appropriate, to develop a 5-year strategy to achieve the following priorities:
(A)
Strengthen United States commercial diplomacy and development efforts to support United States critical minerals investors and help address challenges of doing business in African countries.
(B)
Provide financing and technical assistance incentives and pursue public-private investment mobilization efforts to help eligible African mineral producers to capitalize the expansion of their critical mineral production and processing capacities in order to diversify United States critical mineral supply chains and advance African value-addition objectives.
(C)
Support through the United States International Development Finance Corporation and other Federal agencies, diversified equity funds and investment platforms that provide capital for or incentivize United States private sector investment future mining projects in African countries.
(D)
Enhance economic cooperation with eligible African critical minerals producers.