The US Export-Import Bank will commit $100 billion toward securing supply chains for critical minerals, nuclear energy, and liquefied natural gas in the United States and partner nations, the agency’s chairman announced in a weekend interview with the Financial Times.
John Jovanovic, who chairs the independent federal trade financing agency, said that initial deals will target projects in Egypt, Pakistan, and Europe. The bank operates with congressional authorization of $135 billion, retaining $100 billion in lending capacity for the initiative.
The first wave of financing includes a $4 billion credit insurance guarantee for natural gas deliveries to Egypt through New York-based Hartree Partners and a $1.25 billion loan backing Barrick Mining‘s development of the Reko Diq copper and gold project in Baluchistan, Pakistan.
EXIM is discussing multiple nuclear projects in Southeast Europe involving American companies, including Westinghouse, according to Jovanovic. The bank also plans to support uranium mining projects as the administration works to shift nuclear fuel production away from Russian and Chinese control.
The initiative is a somewhat sharp pivot for EXIM, which supported $1.6 billion in renewable energy projects last year, marking a 74% increase from 2023. The bank now emphasizes LNG exports and traditional energy security as priorities under President Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda.
The Trump administration has emphasized breaking American dependence on China for strategic metals, including copper and rare earth elements. The newly released 2025 List of Critical Minerals identifies 60 minerals vital to US economic and national security, with the United States importing 80% of its rare earth elements in 2024.
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