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To Compete With China and Secure Supply Chains, the U.S. Needs Africa’s Minerals -By Ademola Adesina

Small-scale African miners, many of whom have adopted these solutions, also present an untapped opportunity. To benefit, U.S. companies must engage in direct investment (not just extraction) and build local processing and refining capabilities. 

Published

8 months ago

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China and Africa
President Trump’s second term will be defined in part by his ability to secure America’s supply of critical minerals. These are materials essential for consumer electronics, cloud computing, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI). U.S. demand will double by 2030, but the country lacks sufficient domestic capacity and remains dependent on China, which processes 70% of the world’s supply.
Some companies, like Apple, have attempted to source from Africa as a solution, where critical minerals are most abundant. This strategy recently misfired when poor governance and regulatory failures stalled their efforts and caused reputational harm to the company.
The reality is that without a structured, transparent, and scalable strategy, American businesses will continue to face bottlenecks, higher costs, reputational risks… and pass those costs along to consumers. President Trump himself will also face pressures as his promise to deliver manufacturing jobs and “Made in America” mandates cannot sustain the lack of supply of critical minerals.
Africa does provide a viable alternative–but only if Washington and business leaders rethink their engagement. The key is to integrate traceability technology into procurement, ensuring minerals are sourced transparently and ethically.
Small-scale African miners, many of whom have adopted these solutions, also present an untapped opportunity. To benefit, U.S. companies must engage in direct investment (not just extraction) and build local processing and refining capabilities.
China has already done this, ensuring their supply of Zambian copper and DRC cobalt, among others. If the U.S. fails to act, it will cede global supply chains and economic influence to the Chinese altogether.
Without a strategic shift, President Trump’s manufacturing ambitions are at risk, and so are global supply chains. Africa offers a solution, but the U.S. must be willing to invest to realize the benefit.
The alternative is more Apple-in-DRC moments for American companies and an even tighter grip from Beijing.
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