The announcement was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a high-level US delegation in Islamabad on Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and senior federal ministers also attended the meeting.

The delegation, which included representatives from USSM and the Mota-Engil Group, is on a three-day visit to explore opportunities for expanding mining operations, enhancing value addition in mineral resources and developing supporting infrastructure.

During its meetings with the prime minister, the army chief and cabinet members, the delegation was briefed on Pakistan’s vast reserves of copper, gold and rare earth elements.

The US representatives expressed readiness to establish value-addition facilities within Pakistan, strengthen mineral processing capacity and undertake large-scale infrastructure projects linked to the mining sector.

To this end, two Memoranda of Understanding were signed.

The Frontier Works Organization signed an agreement with USSM, a St. Louis–based processor, recycler and miner, to cooperate on the development and processing of critical minerals, including rare earth elements, essential for the defence, aerospace and technology industries.

The partnership will begin with the export of antimony, copper, gold, tungsten and rare earth elements from Pakistan, laying the foundation for the establishment of a poly-metallic refinery in the country.

The proposed facility will produce intermediate and finished products to meet the rising demand in the US market.

In parallel, the National Logistics Corporation signed an MoU with the Mota-Engil Group, a global engineering and construction firm, to explore opportunities in logistics and infrastructure.

The company is currently surveying opportunities in Pakistan with a view to building long-term partnerships that align with government plans and private sector initiatives.

Officials said the agreements would open new opportunities for sustainable growth, technology transfer and job creation, while ensuring profitability and environmental responsibility.

The cooperation also includes exploring innovative financing tools and digital solutions, such as tokenisation of critical minerals, to attract global investors and increase transparency and value creation.

The visit of the US delegation and the signing of the MoUs are seen as a significant step in Pakistan’s efforts to attract global investment in the mining and logistics sectors, while further cementing economic ties between Islamabad and Washington.