LAHORE: The Reko Diq copper and gold project is a “transformational” example of what more than six decades of US-Pakistan cooperation can achieve, with the world class mine expected over its lifetime to generate close to $1 billion in US exports of equipment and services, more than $75 billion in profits in Pakistan and thousands of jobs, US Consul General in Lahore Statson Sanders said on Tuesday. Speaking at the closing ceremony of a two-day conference on Pakistan’s rare earth minerals organised by the National School of Public Policy (NSPP), Sanders said the project, currently under construction, traced its origins to a joint US-Pakistan geological survey in 1961 that first identified the critical deposits in Balochistan.
“That’s more than 60 years of cooperation between the United States and Pakistan culminating in a single project,” he said, describing Reko Diq as “a great example of what we can do together”.
Sanders said the United States was keen to build on that experience by deepening cooperation with Pakistan in critical minerals, with American companies actively engaging Pakistani partners to explore new investments in copper, gold, tungsten, antimony and other minerals.
He said Pakistan’s mineral wealth could transform its economy for generations, while the United States could provide capital, technology and its long history of engagement to help unlock that potential responsibly, enabling communities to benefit alongside citizens and corporations.
The consul general said the longstanding economic relationship between Pakistan and the United States provided a solid platform for advancing cooperation in critical minerals, a sector offering significant prospects for growth, innovation and shared prosperity.
“Collaboration, cooperation and partnership” had been recurring themes during the conference, he noted. Sanders said Pakistan had made “real progress” in reforming its regulatory and business environment, creating opportunities for international investors and local communities to benefit from responsible mineral development and extraction.
He pointed out that mining currently contributed about three per cent to Pakistan’s GDP, while a single major project such as Reko Diq could add roughly half a percentage point to the country’s overall GDP. “These are smart investments and the regulatory environment that we heard about earlier is a key to making that happen for all of the people of Pakistan,” he said.
Sanders said the US Consulate General in Lahore had been holding discussions with the Punjab Department of Mines and Minerals and the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade on opportunities for greater US investment in Punjab’s mining and mineral sector. The discussions focused on strengthening the investment environment, advancing policy reforms and expanding opportunities for US companies in geological surveys, mining equipment and value-added mineral processing, he said.
The US Geological Survey’s critical minerals list included roughly 60 minerals vital to modern technology, energy, computing and defence, Sanders said, adding that American firms had particular interest in copper, antimony and tungsten among Pakistan’s reserves. He said licence holders seeking investment should complete feasibility studies according to internationally recognised standards so that investors could assess opportunities “quickly, confidently and transparently”.
Sanders said critical minerals had become a national priority for the United States, with the Trump administration making partnerships central to American security and prosperity. He noted that Pakistan had joined the Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C., six months ago.
The consul general said American companies were already engaging with Pakistani partners to explore investments in copper, gold, tungsten, antimony and other minerals, and expressed optimism about growing momentum towards deeper and more structural cooperation between the two countries. The United States wanted to follow the model of bilateral frameworks it had established with countries such as Australia, Japan and India, he said.
“Pakistan holds mineral wealth that can transform your economy for generations, and the United States offers capital, technology, and a six-decade history of commitment to help unlock that responsibly,” Sanders said.
