On 28 November 2025, a delegation of Japanese companies presented a master plan to the DRC government for a comprehensive supply-chain initiative covering critical minerals from the Copperbelt region.

The objective is to build a robust, reliable supply chain to deliver raw and processed minerals like copper, cobalt, and other critical materials needed globally, particularly for energy transition technologies. The initiative seeks to integrate Japanese technologies, financing and supply-chain expertise with the DRC’s vast mineral resources.

For the DRC, this partnership signals a shift toward diversified international mining collaborations, reducing reliance on a single set of foreign investors, while aligning with global demand for responsibly sourced critical raw materials. Analysts view the agreement as a potentially major boost for investment, mineral-value addition, and industrial growth with downstream processing, supply-chain security and better export value as key promises.