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US sets aside diplomatic rift with South Africa to invest in rare earths project

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South Africa Donald Trump has had to put aside his hostility with South Africa, to get rare earth minerals from the site of a former chemical plant in northern Limpopo Province. The US has committed a $50 million investment in the project despite its relations with South Africa plummeting to their lowest point in decades. These giant dunes may be waste from an old chemical processing plant, but th...
The U.S. investment in South Africa’s Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project reveals a strategic tension between geopolitical rivalry and economic pragmatism. On one hand, the narrative emphasizes the U.S. reducing reliance on China for critical minerals, a clear strategic priority. On the other, it acknowledges that even amid diplomatic friction—such as Trump’s executive order halting financial aid to South Africa—economic interests override political posturing. This suggests that while the U.S. may em...