Posted on 07 Aug 2023
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced it plans to work with African countries on joint mineral development to strengthen its electric vehicle supply chain, Kallanish reports.
In a recent press conference, METI’s minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said he will visit Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Madagascar during 6-13 August.
“The countries have important minerals which are essential for economic growth, technological innovation and implementation in the new era. The key resources such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, as well as rare earth metals, can be used in storage batteries and other products that are important for electric vehicles,” he notes.
Nishimura said he will seek to further strengthen relationships with the governments of these countries during his upcoming visit, to support the entry of Japanese companies into African nations and secure “important mineral resources.”
Zambia and Namibia have previously banned the export of raw ores, especially of lithium, to encourage the development of domestic processing capacity.
Source:Kallanish
