Pakistan Mineral Reserves: The United States might be planning to replace China in the Pakistan’s Balochistan to get its hands on the vast mineral reserves in the restive region, policy experts have claimed. The speculations stem from a recent visit of Eric Meyer, the head of US’ Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, to Pakistan.
Top US official visits Pakistan
Meyer’s visit is being viewed as a major turning point in US-Pakistan relations, and its believed that Washington may be willing to turn a blind eye to Islamabad’s history of supporting and harbouring banned terror groups, as the Donald Trump administration wants a major piece of Pakistan’s vast untapped mineral wealth, especially in the restive Balochistan region.
On April 9, 2025, a US delegation led by Eric Meyer visited Pakistan to reportedly explore new avenues of cooperation in the mineral sector. During the visit, the senior diplomat met Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi, and their talks focused on tapping Pakistan’s mineral resources, which both parties agreed would be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Munir and Meyer also spoke on other key topics, including partnerships between businesses, government and society, according to media reports. Eric Meyer also met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who urged the US to invest in Pakistan, asserting that both could reap significant economic benefits by tapping Pakistan’s mineral reserves, which are estimated to be worth over $6 trillion.
The US delegation also attended the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 in Islamabad, where investors from nations like US, China, Saudi Arabia and the European Union, were also present.
Why US wants Pakistan’s minerals?
The US is the largest consumer of rare earth minerals, and with China controlling a major chunk of world’s rare earth element deposits, Washington is looking at other places where large reserves remain untapped. During his Pakistan visit, Eric Meyers had said that these minerals are critical for US industries, especially its defense and electric vehicle manufacturers.
US President Donald Trump has often talked about securing America’s mineral future as a strategic imperative, and as such, Pakistan, which has vast untapped resources of copper, gold, lithium, and other rare elements, could be on the US radar as a potential partner. Experts note that for the US, the cooperation in mineral mining with Pakistan is geostrategic in nature, apart from its economic benefits.
The China factor
As noted earlier, China leads the global supply of critical minerals, boasting an estimated 69% share in rare earth element mining and 44% of copper smelting, worldwide. Additionally, China and Pakistan are strategic allies and Beijing essentially owns the entire Balochistan region with its CPEC investment, which has reinvigorated the Baloch independence movement.
Meanwhile, the US is trying to beyond China for securing rare earth minerals, striking global deals to diversify and secure access to vital mines from Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Peru and beyond. As Washington redraws the global mineral supply chain map, its expansion will not be complete without South Asian countries like India and Pakistan, that have vast mineral resources.
How the US move benefits India?
If the US manages to replace China in Balochistan, it would provide India with a trusted ally in the region which could lead to New Delhi having a share of the potential benefits. Additionally, if Balochistan separates from Pakistan, then India can become a direct partner of the US in the region.
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