The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a $1.4 million grant to Metalex Africa, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Metalex Commodities, to fund a feasibility study for expanding the Kazozu copper‑cobalt operation in Zambia’s North‑Western Province. The study will assess producing up to an additional 25,000 metric tons per year of copper and cobalt concentrates and aims to connect Metalex with U.S. buyers, while opening opportunities for American suppliers of equipment and services. USTDA acting director Thomas R. Hardy said the partnership is designed to strengthen U.S. supply chain resilience by leveraging U.S. technology and expertise. The initiative aligns with Washington’s broader effort to develop the Lobito Corridor—linking Angola’s port of Lobito with mining hubs in the DRC and Zambia—where the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has committed about $550 million for rail and port upgrades. The project also sits within a competitive regional landscape that includes continued Chinese investment in Zambian copper, such as JCHX Mining’s purchase of an 80% stake in the Lubambe mine.