Ivanhoe Mines, a Canadian mining company with extensive African operations, is in advanced discussions with Congo’s state miner Gecamines and Swiss commodities trader Mercuria to deliver zinc‑rich concentrate from its Kipushi mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the United States under Washington’s Project Vault programme, Reuters reported.

The Kipushi mine, one of Ivanhoe’s high‑grade assets, produces zinc, copper, germanium, and silver, and returned to commercial production in 2024. The operation forms part of Ivanhoe’s broader African portfolio, which includes the Kamoa‑Kakula copper complex in the DRC and the Platreef platinum‑group metals project in South Africa.

The planned arrangement aligns with a wider minerals agreement between the U.S. and the DRC, as Washington seeks to secure access to Africa’s resource-rich deposits amid intensifying competition with China. Project Vault, launched on Monday, is a 12 billion US dollar supply‑chain security initiative aimed at guaranteeing long-term access to strategic metals worldwide. The programme is supported by 1.67 billion US dollars in private investment and a 10 billion US dollar loan from the U.S. Export‑Import Bank, according to Reuters.

Ivanhoe Mines has positioned itself as a diversified producer of metals crucial for defence, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. Its African assets have drawn significant global investment interest, including from sovereign wealth funds, highlighting the company’s role in supplying critical raw materials for Western supply chains.

Project Vault forms a central pillar of President Donald Trump’s strategy to reduce reliance on Chinese metal supplies, securing Western access to key inputs essential for advanced manufacturing, defence, and clean energy applications.