U.S. and South Africa Discuss Potential Critical Mineral Deals

Despite tense bilateral relations, the United States and South Africa held this week their highest-level meeting so far this year to discuss potential resource deals in critical minerals, the Financial Times reported on Friday, quoting attendees of the meeting in Johannesburg. The two countries have been in tense relations since U.S. President Donald Trump took office for his second term last year and accused South Africa of “white genocide.” However, the Chinese grip on the global critical minerals market seems to have prompted the U.S. to seek opportunities for resource deals in South Africa, which produces minerals including manganese, vanadium,…