Ivanhoe in US Zinc Talks

According to a report by Mining.com, Ivanhoe Mines is in advanced talks with Congo's state miner Gecamines and Swiss commodities trader Mercuria to supply zinc-rich concentrate from its Kipushi mine to the United States under Washington's newly launched strategic stockpiling scheme, Project Vault. The $12 billion programme aims to secure long-term supplies of strategic metals, backed by $1.67 billion in private capital and a $10 billion loan facility from the US Export-Import Bank. The proposed arrangement would see Mercuria assign its existing offtake for Kipushi concentrate to Gecamines' trading arm, with the potential for Gecamines to handle up to 50% of Kipushi's output, including shipments destined for the US. This development is part of a broader US-Congo push on minerals, as Washington intensifies competition with China for access to Africa's vast resource base.