Announcing the deal, President Donald Trump framed the moment as a lucrative geopolitical breakthrough, saying, "Everybody is going to make a lot of money." The agreement positions Washington to challenge Beijing’s long-standing dominance in a region essential to global supply chains.

Newsweek has contacted the State Department and the foreign ministries of Rwanda and DR Congo for comment.

Why It Matters

For years, Chinese companies have controlled most industrial production of copper and cobalt in the DR Congo, granting Beijing enormous influence over supply chains vital for electric vehicles, smartphones, defense systems, and emerging technologies. The new U.S.-DR Congo critical minerals agreement marks one of Washington’s most aggressive attempts yet to diversify these supply lines and diminish China’s leverage.

The shift comes as global competition intensifies for minerals essential to next-generation industries. By gaining preferential access to Congo’s state-run mining output, the U.S. strengthens its ability to compete in sectors where China has long held structural advantages. For Kinshasa, the deal offers expanded economic support and U.S. security cooperation at a moment when violence in the east continues to destabilize the country.

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The agreement, signed just hours after the U.S.-brokered peace framework between Kinshasa and Kigali on the 4^th of December, builds on efforts to halt fighting in eastern DR Congo, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces have clashed over territory and resources.

The accord sets out cooperation on economic development, security, and tighter mining oversight, backed by billions in U.S. financing and infrastructure projects aimed at redirecting minerals toward Western markets and challenging China’s dominance.

As part of the deal, state-owned Gécamines will partner with Swiss trader Mercuria to give American companies first refusal on copper and cobalt sales, while other state miners, including Entreprise Générale du Cobalt, will provide similar access for artisanal mining output, establishing a U.S. foothold in supply chains long controlled by Chinese firms.

Strategic Financing and Infrastructure                                                                                                                                    The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) plans up to $1 billion for the Lobito Railway, linking Congo’s mineral regions to the Atlantic, a Western alternative to Chinese export routes. Additional backing for the Grand Inga Dam further strengthens Washington’s presence in strategic infrastructure.

Projects likely to benefit include the Rubaya coltan mine, Western Forelands copper exploration, the Manono lithium deposit, and Mutoshi copper-cobalt mine. U.S. involvement introduces competition for Chinese firms active in these high-value mineral sites.

Despite the political agreements, violence persists. Fighting broke out after the peace framework’s signing, forcing civilians into Rwanda. Continued instability in eastern DR Congo could threaten both security and investment, putting the success of the U.S. strategy at risk.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump: "We’ll be involved with sending some of our biggest and greatest companies over to these two countries. Everybody is going to make a lot of money."

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame: "First things first—we are here, we are agreeing, we will sign. Then we move to the next steps."

What Happens Next

The success of Washington’s strategy now hinges on whether the fragile peace can hold. If stability takes root, the agreement could reshape global mineral supply chains and curb China’s influence. But renewed conflict risks undermining the ambitious U.S. bid to transform the balance of power in one of the world’s most strategically contested regions.

See, Trump Peace Deal Bears Fruit in Rivalry with China

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-drcongo-rwanda-peace-deal-bears-fruit-rivalry-china-11173443

Photo. President Donald Trump arrives for a signing ceremony with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, December 4, 2025, in Washington. © Evan Vucci/AP Photo