Pakistan has delivered its first-ever shipment of rare earth and critical minerals to the United States.
The US company, US Strategic Metals (USSM), signed an agreement with Pakistan in September, to explore and develop the debt-ridden country's mineral resources, reported Dawn.
The company plans to invest about $500 million to build facilities in Pakistan for processing and developing minerals.
The sample shipment that was shipped to the US includes antimony, copper concentrate, and rare earth elements such as neodymium and praseodymium, according to a report in the Dawn on Monday.
Officials in Washington said the shipment was an important step for Pakistan to become part of the global supply chain of critical minerals, which are essential for modern industries and national security.
In a statement, US Strategic Metals (USSM) called the shipment "a major milestone in the Pakistan-US strategic partnership." The company said that the agreement creates a clear plan for joint work across the entire mineral industry that is from exploration and processing to building refineries within Pakistan.
The deal and the shipment have sparked protests in Pakistan, with the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), raising concerns over what it called "secret deals" with the US.
The Imran Khan-led PTI is urging the Pakistani government to disclose the full details of the agreements with the US and American companies.
Citing concerns about national interest, the party said Parliament and the nation should be taken on board and that "full details of all such deals be made public".
The deal could help Pakistan gain a strong position in the global market for critical minerals, which could bring in billions of dollars, create jobs, and promote technology sharing. Pakistan's untapped mineral wealth is estimated to be worth around $6 trillion, making it one of the most resource-rich countries in the world.
Pakistan has offered the US access to the Pasni port on the Arabian Sea to make it easier to ship rare earth minerals.
The port in the small, coastal fishing town of Pasni — about 70 miles from Gwadar and 100 miles from the Pakistan-Iran border — is being pitched as a terminal to ship Pakistan’s critical minerals.
This offer comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir met President Donald Trump at the White House, which was Munir's third visit to Washington this year.
A photo from the meeting showed Munir presenting samples of rare earth minerals from Pakistan to Trump in a wooden box.
This shift in relationship comes after Trump claimed to have stopped the Indian-Pakistan crisis during Operation Sindoor, to which India has declined any involvement of the US and Pakistan cemented the new goodwill by thanking Trump for stopping the crisis with India and even nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.