Kazakhstan may be the way for the United States to diversify its critical minerals supply and power the renewable energy revolution.
The United States has long prided itself on economic independence and technological leadership, and yet one of its most pressing vulnerabilities lies in an area too often overlooked: critical minerals. These are the raw materials —copper, cobalt, rare earth elements, titanium, and many others —that underpin everything from fighter jets and power grids to semiconductors and renewable energy systems. Without them, progress on clean energy, defense production, and industrial supply chains faces serious constraints.
Washington itself has acknowledged this vulnerability. In August, the United States Department of the Interior released an updated draft list of critical minerals, adding copper, silicon, and potash to the roster. The expansion illustrates that even relatively common metals can become “critical” when supply bottlenecks and geopolitical risks converge. The United States currently relies heavily on imports for dozens of these inputs, often from single-source suppliers in regions vulnerable to political shocks or monopolistic control. This leaves the United States vulnerable to disruptions and external pressures during times of tension.
Successive administrations have stated that the United States cannot allow its clean energy transition, advanced manufacturing, or defense industries to hinge on an insecure foreign supply. Domestic mining and recycling are part of the solution, but geography and geology mean that the United States cannot insulate itself entirely. Diversification is the only viable path. This means building supply chains that are broader, deeper, and more resilient —involving fewer chokepoints, fewer single-source dependencies, and more trusted partners.
It is in this context that Kazakhstan can play a role.
Kazakhstan is among the world’s top twenty producers of critical raw materials and holds the bulk of Central Asia’s reserves in copper, titanium, and rare earth elements. The country is also advancing projects in cobalt, tungsten, and other strategic metals. In particular, Kazakhstan is capable of supplying 19 items from the US’s list of critical minerals, underscoring its potential contribution to global supply chain resilience. For example, Kazakhstan’s titanium sponge is one of the few globally certified for aerospace use, an asset directly relevant as Western supply chains continue diversifying. In copper, Kazakhstan already hosts world-scale operations, while rare earth deposits are also under exploration, with recent discoveries suggesting substantial potential. To support this development, Kazakhstan has also launched a fully digital subsoil management platform, which strengthens transparency and makes decades of historical data newly accessible.
But the key point is not that Kazakhstan has resources —many countries do. The point is that Kazakhstan can be a reliable partner capable of moving further up the value chain. With industrial facilities already producing specialty metals such as beryllium and tantalum, and with government backing for downstream processing, Kazakhstan is ready to align with partners who want secure, higher-value inputs rather than unprocessed commodities.
Kazakhstan sits at the crossroads of Eurasia, with growing transport links to Europe and beyond. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, better known as the Middle Corridor, has seen double-digit-percentage growth in freight volumes over the past two years, providing a politically safe alternative to traditional routes. From Kazakhstan’s Caspian ports, shipments can move via the South Caucasus to the Black Sea and onward to United States destinations. For high-value or time-sensitive cargoes, air freight is a routine option. In other words, logistics are not a barrier. The arteries for safe, reliable transport already exist.
Still, the conversation should not be reduced to the simple idea of the United States buying Kazakhstan’s minerals. What would most benefit both sides is partnership.
There are several avenues for such collaboration. Joint investment in processing and refining facilities would allow US capital and technology to help co-finance projects in Kazakhstan that add value at the refining and separation stages. This ensures that what leaves Kazakhstan is not raw ore but higher-value inputs ready for American industries.
Similarly, Kazakhstan can host US pilot projects in rare earth separation, copper processing, or advanced metallurgy, providing a test bed for scaling up cleaner and more efficient technologies.
Infrastructure is another area of cooperation. The United States can lend support —financial, technical, or diplomatic —to the expansion of the Middle Corridor. Kazakhstan’s new digital licensing and mapping system provides a clearer, rules-based framework for resource development. Triangular cooperation is also possible. Kazakhstan already has an active partnership with the European Union on critical raw materials. United States’ participation could create a transatlantic platform in which Kazakhstan acts as a bridge between the two parties.
Such cooperation would yield mutually beneficial outcomes. The United States would secure diversified and stable supplies, directly reducing strategic risk. Kazakhstan would advance its ambition to climb the value chain.
On November 6, Washington will host a Central Asia-United States summit with the participation of President Donald Trump and the leaders of the five Central Asian countries, including Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The summit provides an ideal venue to move from general statements of intent to practical commitments: long-term offtake agreements, co-financing of refining projects, and support for the Middle Corridor. Both governments and private corporations have a role to play.
The pace of change in global industries means that demand for critical minerals will only continue to grow. For the United States, ensuring resilient and diversified supply chains has become a strategic necessity. For Kazakhstan, building stronger partnerships offers it a path to move further up the value chain and the ability to deepen its integration with its trusted economic partners.
By working together, the United States and Kazakhstan can create a model of critical minerals cooperation that reduces strategic vulnerabilities, strengthens transatlantic resilience, and ensures that both countries benefit from the industries of the future.
About the Author: Zhannat Dubirova
Zhannat Balgabaevna Dubirova is the Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan. She has extensive experience in information technology, strategic planning, and digital transformation. Zhannat has a portfolio of 160 successful projects across various sectors of the economy. In 2022, she was appointed Deputy Head of the Bureau of National Statistics, and in December 2023, she became Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan. She is also a member of the Presidential Youth Personnel Reserve. She graduated from the University of Manchester (UK) with a master’s degree in IT management.
Image: Shutterstock/Parilov
