据《Semafor》报道，肯尼亚矿业部长表示，关于美国帮助该国发展关键矿产加工产业的谈判已进入“非常成熟的”阶段。肯尼亚希望借此提升采矿产业对经济的贡献。
The News Talks over a deal that would see the US help develop Kenya’s critical minerals processing industry are at a “very advanced” stage, the African country’s mining minister told Semafor, as the nation looks to increase mining’s contribution to its economy.
这些谈判的背景是美国与中国在关键矿产资源争夺上的竞争日益加剧。
The talks come against the backdrop of intensifying rivalry between the US and China over access to critical minerals.
哈桑·阿里·乔霍（Hassan Ali Joho）表示，与美国政府官员的讨论主要集中在在肯尼亚建设精炼厂和加工厂上，这些设施将部分供应美国市场。他在接受采访时指出：“美国政府的多个部门参与了这些讨论，主要包括商务部、国防部和国务院。”他还提到：“关于产品销售渠道、目标市场以及各方利益的协商仍在进行中。”
Hassan Ali Joho said discussions with US government officials were over the creation of refineries and processing plants in Kenya that partly supply the US. “Several departments of the US [government] are involved in the discussion,” he said in an interview, specifically referencing the US departments of commerce, defense, and state. “Off-taker discussions are ongoing, several products, several markets, several different interests.”The minister’s comments come weeks after a senior American official said the US was ready to help Kenya to develop its local mineral processing.
几周前，一位美国高级官员表示美国愿意帮助肯尼亚发展当地的矿产加工产业。当被问及该协议实施后肯尼亚的运营环境时，乔霍表示：“政府必须提供必要的激励措施，比如设立特殊经济区、保障港口通行权、支持基础设施建设以及提供税收优惠。”他还强调，关于关键矿产合作的讨论与Mrima Hill矿区的开发计划密切相关——该矿区预计蕴藏着价值数百亿美元的稀土矿产资源。
Asked about the likely operating environment in Kenya as part of an agreement, Joho — minister for mining, blue economy, and maritime affairs — said: “There has to be all the necessary incentives that the government will provide, such as special economic zones, port access, support infrastructure, and tax concessions.”Joho said discussions about a critical mineral partnership were “intertwined” with the bidding process to develop Mrima Hill, a coastal deposit that is expected to contain tens of billions of dollars’ worth of rare earth minerals.
他说，初步的地质研究表明，米里马山（Mrima Hill）含有铌（niobium）——这种金属被用于航空航天制造业。他还表示，初步评估结果显示该地区还含有钴（cobalt）、铜（copper）和镍（nickel）。约翰霍（Joho）透露，共有六家公司参与了米里马山项目的竞标，其中包括美国公司以及来自澳大利亚和中国的企业。竞标过程将于10月底结束，之后政府将与中标公司进行谈判并最终达成协议。
He said initial geological studies suggested niobium, a metal used in aerospace manufacturing, is present in Mrima Hill. He added that early stage assessments indicated cobalt, copper, and nickel were also present in Kenya Know More Joho said six companies were competing in the bidding process for the Mrima Hill project, including American firms and others from Australia and China. He said the bidding process would end in late October, after which the government would hold talks with a preferred company and agree on a deal.
这位矿业部长指出，目前矿业行业对肯尼亚国内生产总值（GDP）的贡献率仅为1%，但政府计划在未来十年内将这一比例提升至10%。
The mining minister said the sector currently contributes around 1% of Kenya’s GDP, but that the government was targeting a 10% contribution within the next decade.
“我们正在实现经济结构的多元化：过去我们主要依赖服务业和农业；但现在我们非常重视发展矿业，”约翰霍说，并补充道：“本地化的矿产资源加工为推动工业化和增加肯尼亚人民的财富创造了机会。”
“We are diversifying: we have been a service economy, we have been an agro economy; but now we are keen on opening up the mining sector,” said Joho, adding that the processing materials locally offered the opportunity to drive industrialization and generate wealth among Kenyans.
华盛顿方面已宣布与包括刚果民主共和国（DR Congo）、尼日利亚（Nigeria）和赞比亚（Zambia）在内的多个非洲国家达成协议，旨在获取对其经济利益至关重要的矿产资源。这一举措是在与中国的竞争日益激烈的背景下作出的；中国目前主导着数据中心建设、国防装备制造以及能源转型所需的矿产资源的全球供应链。
Step Back Washington has announced agreements with several African countries — including DR Congo, Nigeria, and Zambia — aimed at securing access to minerals it deems critical to its economic interests. The move comes amid intensifying rivalry with China, which dominates global supply chains for minerals needed for data center construction, defense equipment, and the energy transition.
非洲各国政府正将提升本地产业附加值（而非单纯出口原材料）作为优先目标，并致力于提升自身的矿产加工能力。
Governments across Africa are prioritizing local value addition instead of raw minerals exports and are focused on improving processing capacity.
肯尼亚总统威廉·鲁托（William Ruto）在明年大选前的竞选演讲中，将通过工业化创造财富作为核心议题；他将在大选中寻求连任。
Kenya’s President William Ruto has made wealth creation through industrialization a focal point in his pitch to voters ahead of polls next year in which he will seek a second term.
本月，鲁托总统命令塔塔化学公司“收拾行李并离开”肯尼亚。他指责这家主要从事纯碱出口的公司未能在肯尼亚本地加工矿产资源以生产玻璃，从而创造就业机会。鲁托的这一决定是在乔霍总统此前下令塔塔化学公司暂停其一家工厂的运营之后作出的；乔霍认为该公司未能满足相关监管要求（但塔塔化学公司对此予以否认）。
Ruto this month ordered Tata Chemicals to “pack up and leave” the country. He accused the company, which exports soda ash, of failing to process minerals locally to make glass and create jobs. The president’s comments came weeks after Joho ordered the Indian chemicals company to suspend operations at one of its plants due an alleged failure to meet regulatory requirements, which the firm has denied.
鲁托表示，政府仍在与塔塔化学公司就“合规问题”进行谈判，这些谈判将决定该公司在肯尼亚的未来的发展前景。矿业部长还表示，政府可能在未来六个月内启动招标程序，允许其他公司进入肯尼亚开展相关业务，重点领域将是矿产加工。他说：“我希望看到肯尼亚本土生产出高质量的玻璃产品；我希望纯碱能够通过本国的资源来供应给我们的工业领域。因此，我们的讨论主要集中在如何实现产业价值的提升上。”
Joho said the government remained in talks with Tata Chemicals about “compliance issues” that would determine the company’s future in the country. The mining minister said the government was likely to open up a bidding process within the next six months for other companies to operate in Kenya with a focus on processing. “I want to see fine glass produced in-country,” he said. “I want to see the soda ash feed into our industries from our own resources. So the conversation largely is about value addition.
值得注意的是，布鲁金斯学会最近发布的一份报告警告称：美国需要采取更加战略性的措施，以吸引私营企业投资非洲的稀缺矿产资源，否则可能会在实现长期经济繁荣方面落后于其他国家。
Notable The US needs a more strategic approach to unlocking private investment opportunities in critical minerals across Africa to avoid “falling behind on securing long-term economic prosperity,” warned a recent report by the Brookings think tank.