Kazakhstan plans to export aluminum, gallium and scandium to the US

Kazakhstan has proposed exporting aluminum, gallium and scandium to the U.S. This initiative was revealed after Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev came to the U.S. on an official visit.

«Within the framework of developing bilateral relations and promoting Kazakhstani interests on the global stage, Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev has come to the United States on an official visit… Critical materials are expected to be one of the issues on the negotiation table. Kazakhstan has proposed expanding cooperation in this field with the U.S. as it is ready to start exporting aluminum, scandium and gallium,» the agency said in a statement.

In addition, Kazakhstan is offering tolling services based on its existing production capacity and new promising projects related to the exploration and production of wolfram, cobalt, lithium, titan and other precious minerals. The two sides are expected to discuss all the details of long-term contracts and issues related to investment support in this strategically important sphere during these talks.

Kazakhstan produces and processes 17 of 50 minerals critically important for the U.S. economy. Kazakhstan has already been exporting titan, beryllium, tantalum and niobium to America-based Transport Technologies LLC, IBC US Holdings Inc. and Tosoh SMD Inc.

As the Ministry of Industry and Construction noted, Kazakhstan is ready to actively cooperate with foreign businesses in the spheres of industrial production and geological exploration.

While in the U.S. on his official visit, Sharlapayev met with representatives of leading American companies, including Nisha Desai Biswal, deputy CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). During this meeting, he said that the presence of American companies in Kazakhstan rose by 12% last year.

«Unique business opportunities associated with the processing of rare and rare-earth metals such as titan, beryllium, tantalum and niobium in Kazakhstan were the focus of these talks. The two sides have also discussed opportunities for the development of joint projects based on the fact of abundance of mineral resources in Kazakhstan,» the ministry said.

Among other projects discussed by the two sides were the construction of a fertilizer plant, the manufacturing of electric vehicle chargers and the development of projects related to building a container hub in the port of Aktau and a transport and logistical hub in West Kazakhstan.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Construction, Nish Biswal has expressed great interest in deepening U.S.-Kazakhstani cooperation on behalf of the DFC. She emphasized that Kazakhstan has enormous potential in terms of big projects and said that she would visit the country for further discussions of bilateral cooperation.

U.S. International Development Finance Corporation is America’s development finance institution. DFC partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today.