Trump Aides Urged Sale of Congo Lithium Claim to a US Company
Accounts of unusual White House meeting reflect new approach to obtaining critical minerals that observers describe as gloves-off
Maxar satellite image showing infrastructure and operational activity at the Manono lithium mine in southeastern Congo, in June 2025.
Source: Satellite image (c) 2025 Maxar Technologies
During a meeting at the White House last month, Trump administration officials urged an Australian mining executive to sell his firm’s interest in a major African lithium project to a US company — an unusual session that offers a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the administration’s deal-brokering as it pursues an ambitious and controversial policy on critical minerals.
People familiar with the Jan. 21 meeting described it as an effort by the White House and US State Department to persuade Perth-based AVZ Minerals Ltd. to sell its claim to the Manono lithium deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo to a US firm. The people asked not to be named to discuss sensitive matters.