A month after sealing a $500m deal, Pakistan ships its inaugural consignment of rare minerals to the United States.

 

Pakistan shipped its first batch of enriched rare earth elements and critical minerals to the United States, marking the start of a $500 million partnership between the two countries. The inaugural consignment, delivered to US Strategic Metals (USSM) on Thursday, includes copper concentrate, antimony, and rare earths such as neodymium and praseodymium, according to Dawn.

The shipment, prepared in collaboration with the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), is seen as a potential turning point in Islamabad’s economic and diplomatic ties with Washington.However, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has raised sharp objections, calling the deals “secretive” and “reckless”. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram demanded that the government disclose the details of all agreements signed with the US, warning that “such lopsided and secretive agreements would further inflame the already volatile situation in the country.”He added that parliament “must be taken on board” and that PTI “would never accept agreements struck at the expense of the people and the state’s interests.

The agreement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last month between US Strategic Metals and Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization (FWO) at the Prime Minister’s House, in the presence of US diplomats, including Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Zach Harkenrider.

“This signing reflects the strength of the US-Pakistan partnership and its mutual benefits,” said US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker, noting that the Trump administration has prioritized deals centered on critical minerals, describing them as vital for “America’s security and prosperity.”

The partnership emerges amid reports that Pakistan’s military has proposed granting the United States development rights for a new port in Pasni, near Gwadar, to streamline mineral exports. According to the Financial Times, advisers to Field Marshal Asim Munir have outlined a plan for American investors to construct a $1.2 billion terminal linked to the country’s mineral-rich belt.