Donald Trump and America’s new plan for Pakistan’s untapped mines

Pars Today - The American magazine Foreign Policy reported on the U.S. government’s interest in Pakistan’s mineral resources.

According to Pars Today, citing ISNA, while the second administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been pushing for a mineral agreement with Ukraine to offset aid sent to Kyiv during its war with Russia—efforts that have yet to bear fruit—Foreign Policy highlighted Washington’s growing interest in accessing Pakistan’s mineral reserves.

According to the magazine, Eric Meyer, a senior official from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, led a delegation to Islamabad to attend a summit focused on investment in the mining sector. In a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Meyer stated that American companies are eager to invest in Pakistan’s untapped mineral reserves, reflecting a broader interest from Donald Trump’s team in this sector.

Foreign Policy noted that U.S. congressional lawmakers appear to be sending similar signals regarding America’s desire to exploit Pakistan’s mineral resources. Jack Bergman, co-chair of the Pakistan Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, recently described this sector as a “key component” of the partnership with Pakistan. Bergman visited Islamabad last week as part of the first U.S. congressional delegation to Pakistan since 2023.

Pakistan’s mineral reserves include vast deposits of copper, gold, and other critical minerals such as lithium, covering an estimated area of 600,000 square kilometers—roughly twice the size of the United Kingdom. While the current value of Pakistan’s mineral reserves is estimated at $8 trillion, Islamabad has long boasted of this mineral wealth but has struggled to attract investors willing to develop these resources.

Foreign Policy suggests that the U.S. government’s expressed interest in such investments could be significant for Islamabad. Meanwhile, Pakistan may see an opportunity to showcase its mineral wealth to a U.S. administration with a strongly transactional approach.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister believes that investments in the mining sector could reduce the country’s reliance on international financing and bolster its long-term economic stability.

MG/BK