The Democratic Republic of Congo is supplying copper to Project Vault, a $12 billion U.S. strategic minerals initiative designed to protect American manufacturers against supply disruptions.

Commodity trader Mercuria has delivered 12,000 metric tons of Congolese copper to the reserve, highlighting the Central African nation’s growing importance to Washington’s critical minerals strategy.

Project Vault combines $2 billion in private funding with a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank.

Announced by President Donald Trump in February 2026, the initiative aims to build inventories of critical raw materials for manufacturers in industries including automotive, steel, power generation and battery production.

Copper enters America’s reserve

Kostas Bintas, Mercuria’s global head of metals, confirmed the delivery at a conference, saying the Congolese copper had entered the U.S. reserve.

Mercuria, one of Project Vault’s anchor investors, committed $500 million to the initiative in September, linking its commodity trading business to Washington’s effort to secure industrial supplies.

“Now this copper finds its way not only to the United States, but to the Strategic Reserve Initiative of the United States,” Bintas said.

He added that policy measures were beginning to affect physical commodity markets, as governments seek alternatives to supply chains heavily dependent on China.

Congo plans larger shipments

Congo’s state-owned miner Gecamines said in January that it planned to ship 100,000 metric tons of copper to the United States in 2026 from its 20% share of production at the Tenke Fungurume mine, with financial and logistical support from Mercuria.

The plan signals ambitions to deepen commercial ties between Congo’s mining industry and American manufacturers.

Congo is the world’s second-largest copper producer, making its output strategically important as Western governments seek to diversify supplies of industrial metals.

Copper is essential to electricity networks, electric vehicles, power generation and other infrastructure, leaving manufacturers exposed to disruptions in mining, refining and international trade.

U.S. demand for Congolese copper

Congolese copper exports are increasingly reaching Western markets. U.S. imports of copper cathodes from Congo reached a record 53,290 metric tons in July 2026, according to the figures provided.

Competitive pricing and efforts by buyers to manage potential tariff exposure have helped support shipments, although China remains Congo’s largest overall customer.

Congo exported approximately 1.72 million metric tons of copper in the first half of 2026, while sales to the United States and Europe doubled, according to the supplied figures.

The shift reflects Western efforts to diversify sourcing and establish strategic partnerships with mineral-producing countries across Africa.

Mercuria strengthens its position

Mercuria Energy Group, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the world’s largest independent energy and physical commodity trading houses, with operations spanning more than 50 countries.

Its business includes oil, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, electricity, agricultural products and transition metals such as copper, cobalt and lithium.

For Congo, the Project Vault shipments offer an opportunity to expand access to Western buyers and deepen the commercial value of its mineral resources.

For Washington, securing copper from a major African producer provides another route to diversify industrial supplies, although the long-term impact will depend on sustained deliveries and the reserve’s ability to cushion shortages.