LONDON: The United States has signed a new agreement with Uzbekistan aimed at securing greater access to the Central Asian country’s critical mineral resources, as President Donald Trump steps up efforts to counter China’s dominance in key global supply chains.
The “Joint Investment Framework” was concluded between the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the government of Uzbekistan, according to Reuters.
According to an outline released by the DFC, the initiative is designed to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries and deepen investment ties across the critical minerals sector.
Under the framework, both sides will prioritise investments across the entire mineral value chain, including exploration, extraction and processing.
The agreement also proposes the establishment of a new U.S.–Uzbekistan Joint Investment Holding Company to support future projects in minerals development and infrastructure.
Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the agreement.
Strategic push in Central Asia
Since returning to office, Trump has intensified Washington’s diplomatic and economic outreach to the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, a region traditionally influenced by Russia and China.
The minerals deal reflects broader U.S. efforts to expand its footprint in a strategically significant area rich in natural resources.
In November, Trump hosted Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the White House, alongside the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Earlier this month, the U.S. also convened a minerals summit that resulted in initial Memorandums of Understanding on critical mineral supplies with 11 countries, including Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan, Central Asia’s second-largest economy and its most populous nation with nearly 40 million people, holds substantial reserves of gold, uranium and copper.
It also possesses significant untapped deposits of lithium, tungsten and other critical minerals essential for modern technologies ranging from renewable energy systems to advanced electronics.
Since taking office in 2016, Mirziyoyev has pursued a wide-ranging economic reform programme aimed at opening up Uzbekistan’s economy and attracting foreign investment.
He was in Washington on Wednesday for the inaugural meeting of Trump’s “Board of Peace,” of which he is a member.
Expanding DFC’s global role
The agreement underscores the expanding role of the DFC in advancing the Trump administration’s strategic resource policy.
The agency already plays a central role in the Ukraine minerals deal struck last year and is spearheading multiple projects in resource-rich African nations.
In a statement, the DFC said the Uzbekistan framework will “promote cooperation to advance shared economic interests, and encourage joint investment in strategic sectors including critical minerals, infrastructure, and energy.”
Analysts say the move signals Washington’s growing focus on securing diversified supply chains for critical materials at a time of intensifying geopolitical competition over access to key resources.
