Pakistan Sends First Rare Earths Shipment To US As Protests Erupt Over ‘Secret Deal’

Last Updated:October 06, 2025, 16:12 IST

The shipment was sent under a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and American firm US Strategic Metals

Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir displays a wooden box, claimed to contain rare earth minerals, during his meeting with US President Donald Trump. (IMAGE: X)

Pakistan has sent its first-ever shipment of rare earth and critical minerals to the United States, in what officials are calling a step forward in strategic and economic cooperation between the two countries.

However, the move has triggered political backlash at home, with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) accusing the government of signing “secret deals” without parliamentary approval.

According to a report published in Dawn, the shipment was sent under a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and American firm US Strategic Metals (USSM).

The deal, worth approximately $500 million, aims to establish mineral exploration, processing, and refining facilities in Pakistan. The sample shipment was prepared locally with the help of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and includes copper concentrate, antimony, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium.

USSM described the delivery as “a milestone in the Pakistan–US strategic partnership.” The company said the MoU sets a roadmap for cooperation across the entire mineral value chain and could help reduce the global reliance on existing monopolies in the critical minerals market.

For Pakistan, the deal offers the chance to tap into its estimated $6 trillion mineral wealth and enter the global supply chain for rare earths — essential for defence technologies, electric vehicles, and semiconductors. Officials also hope the agreement will attract foreign investment, create jobs, and support technology transfer.

But the opposition remains unconvinced. Speaking to Dawn, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram criticised the lack of transparency, warning that such “reckless, lopsided, and secretive agreements” could deepen political instability.

He demanded that the full details of the deal be made public and debated in parliament.

Last month, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir had presented a wooden box containing rare earth samples to US President Donald Trump during a visit to the White House. According to reports, Munir had briefed Trump on Pakistan’s mineral potential, which Trump reportedly received with interest.

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