U.S. and Uzbekistan Ink Critical Minerals Pact
The U.S. administration has entered into a pact with Uzbekistan to enhance access to the Central Asian nation's essential minerals, as U.S. President Donald Trump takes steps to challenge China’s control over vital resources and their supply chains.
The “Joint Investment Framework” established by the U.S. International Development Finance Corp (DFC) and Central Asia’s most populous nation seeks to enhance the strategic collaboration between the two countries, according to a DFC plan outline.
It will focus on investments throughout the essential mineral value chain, covering exploration, extraction, and processing, and suggests a new U.S.–Uzbekistan Joint Investment Holding Company for upcoming minerals and infrastructure initiatives, according to the DFC’s strategy.
Following Donald Trump’s return to power, the United States has sought to cultivate relationships with the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia and has aimed to strengthen its influence in an area where Russia and China have historically held dominance.
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In November 2025, Trump welcomed his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, along with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan at the White House, and earlier this month conducted a minerals summit that led to preliminary Memorandums of Understanding on critical mineral supplies with 11 nations, including Uzbekistan.
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Uzbekistan, the second-largest economy in Central Asia, has been implementing an economic reform program since Mirziyoyev, who was in Washington on Wednesday for the first meeting of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ that he has joined, assumed office in 2016.
The nation, with nearly 40 million inhabitants, possesses considerable deposits of gold, uranium, and copper, alongside substantial untapped stores of numerous essential minerals like lithium and tungsten, which are crucial for contemporary technology.
The pact with Uzbekistan also emphasizes the DFC’s expanding role in Trump's strategy. It already plays a crucial role in the minerals agreement with Ukraine made last year and is leading initiatives in several resource-abundant African nations.
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Uzbekistan’s version will "foster collaboration to enhance mutual economic goals and stimulate joint investment in key areas such as critical minerals, infrastructure, and energy," the DFC stated regarding the agreement.