Pakistan Dispatches First-Ever Rare Earth Shipment to the United States Under $500M Agreement

Pakistan has sent its first-ever shipment of rare earth elements and critical minerals to the United States under a landmark $500 million agreement with U.S. Strategic Metals (USSM).

The shipment marks the implementation of two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed on September 8, 2025, in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior U.S. and Pakistani officials.

According to the agreement, Pakistan will export minerals including antimony, copper concentrate, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium. The partnership focuses on developing the complete mineral value chain, from exploration and beneficiation to concentrate production and future refinery construction.

Officials stated that the collaboration aims to promote technology transfer, job creation, and industrial development within Pakistan’s mining sector. For the United States, the arrangement supports its goal of diversifying global supply chains for critical minerals essential to defense and clean energy industries.

This initiative is viewed as a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to enter the global rare earth market and strengthen bilateral economic ties with the United States.