The US government sought a deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to secure mining rights for critical minerals used in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. The negotiations, which took place in 2024, involved US officials, including the Secretary of State, and were aimed at diversifying the US sources of critical minerals and reducing China's dominance in the global supply chain. However, the deal faced opposition from environmental and human rights groups, who raised concerns about the impact of mining on local communities and the environment [270c00fe]. Despite the negotiations falling through, the US government remains committed to exploring alternative options for securing critical minerals.
India has also entered into talks with Africa and Latin America to secure critical mineral blocks. Veena Kumari Dermal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Mines, announced that India is engaging in government-to-government discussions to secure access to critical minerals from these regions. The talks indicate that the Indian government is directly engaging with the governments of African and Latin American countries. However, no specific details about the minerals or the progress of the talks have been provided [43a65ed9].