The U.S.-Africa Energy & Minerals Forum (USAEMF) has relaunched with an expanded mandate that places critical minerals and supply chain security at the center of U.S.-Africa commercial engagement, signaling a strategic shift in how energy and resource partnerships are structured.
Scheduled for July 21–22, 2026, in Houston, Texas, the forum comes amid surging global demand for copper, cobalt, lithium, manganese and rare earth elements, driven by electrification, battery storage, artificial intelligence infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. Organisers say the event reflects a growing recognition that energy and minerals are now interconnected pillars of industrial growth, decarbonisation and geopolitical stability.
The expanded focus deepens engagement with African producers, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which hosts some of the world’s largest copper and cobalt reserves. Momentum is building under the U.S.–DRC strategic minerals framework and through the U.S.-backed Orion Critical Mineral Consortium.
The consortium, supported by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and private partners, is pursuing a 40% stake in the Mutanda and Kamoto copper-cobalt operations in a transaction valued at $9 billion.
U.S. financing across the continent is also accelerating. The DFC currently manages a portfolio exceeding $13 billion in Africa, supporting mining, processing and transport infrastructure linked to critical mineral supply chains.
Recent commitments span rare earth, graphite and potash projects in Malawi, Mozambique and Gabon, alongside broader investments in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa. More than $553 million has been directed toward development of the Lobito Corridor, aimed at improving export routes for copper and cobalt.
Houston’s selection as host city indicates the alignment between U.S. industrial capacity and African resource development, positioning the forum as a platform to convert mineral potential into bankable, long-term projects across integrated energy and mining value chains