The US has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to strengthen electric vehicle (EV) battery value chains.
Under the terms of the MoU, the US will support the commitment between the DRC and Zambia to develop jointly a supply chain for EV batteries.
The MoU, signed during the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in December, supports the DRC’s and Zambia’s goal of building a productive supply chain, from the mine to the assembly line, while also committing to respect international standards to prevent, detect and take legal action to fight corruption throughout this process.
The DRC produces more than 70% of the world’s cobalt, and Zambia is the world’s sixth-largest copper producer and the second-largest cobalt producer on the African continent.