The Asian country is rich in mineral resources, but the sector remains underdeveloped so far.
Missouri-based U.S. Strategic Metals (USSM) has signed a $500 million Memorandum of Understanding with Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization to develop a poly-metallic refinery in Pakistan and export antimony, copper, gold, tungsten, and rare earth elements.
The agreement was announced after a U.S. business delegation met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. A parallel MoU links Pakistan’s National Logistics Corp with Portugal-based Mota-Engil for infrastructure and logistics support.
Next steps include evaluating Pakistan’s mineral potential and expanding cooperation across the value chain. The deal follows last month’s U.S.–Pakistan trade agreement, which reduced tariffs and opened the door to joint energy development. Earlier, an April meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signaled future collaboration in mining and critical minerals.
While Pakistan’s mineral wealth is valued at up to $6 trillion, analysts caution that much remains untapped and underdeveloped, hindered by outdated infrastructure, limited geological data, and investor uncertainty. To address these problems, Pakistan published the National Minerals Harmonisation Framework 2025 with the main goal of streamlining geological data and attracting international investment.
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