Trump expands US investment firepower to $205 billion as Washington targets African minerals

US President Donald Trump’s administration is expanding Washington’s use of investment capital to secure critical minerals and challenge China’s influence. Alex Wong/

• The US International Development Finance Corporation can now support as much as $205 billion in investments worldwide.
• The agency expects global annual deployment to reach between $25 billion and $35 billion next year.
• DFC already has more than $14 billion committed across Africa, including over $3 billion linked to critical minerals.
• Washington plans to make more direct-equity investments in African mining and infrastructure as it challenges China’s supply-chain dominance.

The US International Development Finance Corporation, known as DFC, already has more than $14 billion in investment commitments across Africa. More than $3 billion of that exposure is connected to critical minerals and related infrastructure.

The $205 billion figure is DFC’s maximum worldwide investment capacity. It is not a dedicated allocation to Africa and does not mean the agency presently has that amount invested or approved for the continent.

However, the larger ceiling gives DFC greater room to finance projects through loans, guarantees, insurance and direct ownership stakes at a time when Washington is seeking alternatives to Chinese-controlled mineral and technology supply chains.

In an interview with Barron’s⁠, DFC Head of Investments Conor Coleman said the agency had completed about $6 billion in committed transactions, approved another $13 billion and assembled a global pipeline valued at approximately $100 billion.

Coleman said DFC expects its worldwide annual deployment to reach between $25 billion and $35 billion next year.

The deployment forecast also applies globally rather than exclusively to Africa. But the agency’s existing African exposure and announced investment pipeline make the continent a clear target for part of the expanded capital.

DFC intends to use government money to attract private investors that would otherwise consider projects in emerging markets too risky. Coleman said the agency aims to mobilise between $3 and $5 of private investment for every dollar it commits.

It is also targeting an average return of between 8% and 10% across its portfolio, reflecting its increasing shift towards commercially structured investments that also advance US foreign-policy objectives.

DFC chief executive Ben Black leads the US agency as it increases investments in energy, mining and digital infrastructure overseas. [DFC]BI Africa

DFC’s regional managing director for Africa, Vibhuti Jain, said earlier in October that the agency was preparing additional direct-equity investments on the continent, including in critical minerals.

“There are a number of projects in our equity pipeline right now, including in Africa, and including in the critical minerals sector,” Jain said.

She explained that DFC would continue to deploy more debt, guarantees and political-risk insurance than equity in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, its direct ownership investments are expected to increase as the agency expands.

The shift matters because Washington would no longer be limited to lending money to African projects. DFC could acquire ownership stakes, accept greater financial risks and potentially influence how strategically important minerals are produced, processed and sold.

Congress increased DFC’s worldwide investment ceiling from $60 billion to $205 billion when it renewed the agency’s mandate through 2031. The legislation also strengthened its equity powers, established a revolving equity fund and relaxed some geographical restrictions.

DFC chief executive Ben Black said in April that the changes had given the agency greater ability to deploy debt, equity and insurance across different levels of an investment.

The agency’s board has already approved undisclosed transactions in Africa intended to strengthen energy and critical-mineral supply chains considered important to American economic growth and security. Those transactions remain subject to further steps, including notification to Congress.

DFC has also opened a route to acquire an estimated 20% interest in the Australian-owned Balama graphite operation in Mozambique. The proposed transaction involves converting a $31 million loan into equity and investing another $15 million in the local operating company.

The transaction could make the United States the second-largest shareholder in the Mozambique graphite mine.

Elsewhere, the agency is supporting the Lobito Corridor, which connects the copper and cobalt regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic coast. DFC and the Development Bank of Southern Africa provided$753 million for the Angolan section of the railway⁠.

Washington has also provided early-stage support for rare-earth development in Madagascar, including $4.84 million for studies and pilot work at the Ampasindava project. The project is estimated to require approximately $142 million before production can begin.

The expanded DFC mandate does not guarantee financing for every African project in its pipeline. Projectsmust still pass commercial, environmental and political assessments before approval and disbursement.

Nevertheless, the combination of its $205 billion global capacity, stronger equity powers and existing $14 billion African portfolio gives Washington a larger financial vehicle for competing with China across the continent’s mining, energy and digital-infrastructure industries.