US, Liberia Discuss Expanding Investment in Critical Minerals Sector

By Staff, Agencies

The United States is exploring expanded investment opportunities in Liberia, particularly in the country’s growing critical minerals sector, the State Department announced on Friday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti in Washington on Thursday to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

“The meeting explored avenues for expanding US participation in Liberia’s critical minerals sector with the aim of creating jobs and economic growth in both the United States and Liberia,” Pigott noted.

Rubio also praised the ongoing efforts of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a US development agency that closed a $257 million compact in 2021 to improve Liberia’s electricity and road infrastructure.

The project, he said, has laid the foundation for future US-Liberia partnerships focused on sustainable development and private-sector growth.

Liberia, Africa’s oldest republic, has long relied on exports of iron ore and rubber.

However, recent discoveries of uranium, lithium, cobalt, manganese, and neodymium have positioned the West African nation as a potential player in the global critical minerals market — resources essential to clean-energy technologies and defense industries.

Monrovia has sought foreign investment to modernize its mining sector and expand infrastructure, aiming to reduce dependence on commodity exports and foster long-term economic diversification.

The talks mark Washington’s latest engagement with African partners amid growing competition from China and Russia for access to the continent’s strategic resources.