Senior US and international officials gathered in Washington as the United States reinforced its push to secure critical minerals supply chains at a high-level ministerial hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting, held at the US Department of State, brought together government leaders committed to building secure, resilient, and transparent global supply chains for critical minerals.
The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) was represented by Conor Coleman, Chief of Staff and Head of Investments, who took part in discussions focused on mobilising public and private capital for strategic mineral projects. DFC Chief Executive Officer Ben Black said the administration had demonstrated strong leadership in safeguarding access to resources vital to US economic growth and national security, adding that DFC would continue working closely with the White House, Congress, and interagency partners.
Coleman participated in a plenary session outlining US government funding tools available to support investment in critical minerals. He was joined by senior officials from the Departments of Commerce and Energy, the Export-Import Bank, and the Office of Strategic Capital. The session highlighted how coordinated financing mechanisms can strengthen supply chain security while encouraging private sector participation.
DFC also outlined a series of recent and ongoing investments. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, state-owned miner Gécamines, through its joint venture with commodity trader Mercuria, has begun shipping around 100000 tonnes of copper committed to the United States, with additional volumes planned for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In Brazil, DFC signed a financing agreement with SVRE Holdings Ltd. for a $565 million loan to expand the Pela Ema rare earths mine operated by Serra Verde, supporting the development of a Western-aligned source of heavy rare earth elements. In Kazakhstan, DFC issued letters of interest for up to $700 million in financing linked to Cove Kaz Capital Group’s investment in the Severniy Katpar tungsten mine.
The corporation has also closed a $600 million investment in the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium, a $1.8 billion public-private partnership established with Orion Resource Partners and ADQ, designed to deploy flexible capital across critical minerals projects in eligible jurisdictions. In addition, DFC committed $75 million in equity to the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, matched by the Ukrainian government, to support investment in critical minerals and other strategic sectors.
DFC said securing diversified and reliable supplies of critical minerals remains central to its investment strategy, as these resources underpin advanced technologies, energy systems, and long-term economic security.
