USA
ZAMBIA-USA RELATIONS KEY FIGURES
| New Partnership Announced | Key Mechanism | Focus Sector | FDI Source Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 8, 2025 | Restructured MCC Compact | Mining and critical minerals | Not in top 5 |
President Hakainde Hichilema and US Assistant Secretary of State Caleb Orr committed on December 8, 2025 to a plan unlocking a substantial US grant package in exchange for Zambian collaboration in the mining sector and business regulatory reforms, combined with a restructured Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact and a five-year public health partnership.
The US delegation, including Ambassador Michael C. Gonzales, met with Zambia’s Ministries of Finance, Mines and Minerals Development, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Technology and Science, and Agriculture, alongside mining sector representatives including KoBold Metals, and visited First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi Mine.
A New Bilateral Partnership
President Hakainde Hichilema and US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Caleb Orr committed on December 8, 2025 to a plan aimed at unlocking a substantial grant package of US support in exchange for collaboration in the mining sector and business sector reforms intended to drive economic growth and commercial investment benefiting both countries[1]. The package would combine a restructured Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact with a five-year partnership on public health[1]. Assistant Secretary Orr said Zambia’s economic potential had “for too long” been constrained by “a slow, unpredictable, and opaque business regulatory environment,” and that the United States wanted to “leverage U.S. assistance to bring about reforms that will unleash business investment that enhances U.S. access to critical supply chains”[1].
Engagement Across Government and Mining
The US delegation, which also included Ambassador to Zambia Michael C. Gonzales and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southern African Affairs and Foreign Assistance in Africa Nick Checker, met with leaders from Zambia’s Ministries of Finance and National Planning, Mines and Minerals Development, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Technology and Science, and Agriculture[1]. Assistant Secretary Orr also met with mining sector and US private sector representatives including KoBold Metals, and visited Kansanshi Mine, First Quantum Minerals’ copper mine in North-Western Province[1].
Investment Climate Context
Zambian state-owned enterprises export grain to regional markets, though the US Department of State notes it is unaware of any Zambian state-owned enterprises investing in the United States, and Zambia does not have a bilateral income tax treaty with the United States[2]. The United States was not among the five largest source countries for Zambia’s foreign direct investment liability stock in 2024, a group led by Canada, the British Virgin Islands, China, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates[3].
Investment Opportunities
The explicit US focus on mining sector collaboration and critical supply chains, evidenced by the visit to Kansanshi Mine and engagement with KoBold Metals, points directly to critical energy transition minerals as the anchor of the emerging US-Zambia economic relationship, complementing the mining and diversification themes covered on the dedicated Mining and Trade pages[1].
Last Update: September 2026
References
- U.S. Embassy in Zambia, President Hichilema and Visiting Senior U.S. Official Agree to a New Way Forward for the U.S.-Zambia Bilateral Relationship, December 2025
- US Department of State, 2025 Zambia Investment Climate Statement
- Bank of Zambia, Zambia Statistics Agency and Zambia Development Agency, Foreign Private Investment and Investor Perceptions in Zambia, 2025
