Economic Prospects for US-Kazakhstan Cooperation in Critical Materials

Nazira A. Gumar and Tatiana A. Zhuravleva
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Nazira A. Gumar: Almaty Technological University
Tatiana A. Zhuravleva: OSCO Group Services

Economic Consultant, 2026, issue 3, 4-20

Abstract: Introduction. Critical materials have emerged as a pivotal determinant of industrial competitiveness and geoeconomic rivalry, underpinning the energy transition, electronics manufacturing, and defense technologies. The relevance of the present study is grounded in the United States’ strategic imperative to diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on concentrated processing markets – predominantly China – while simultaneously capitalizing on Kazakhstan’s expanding resource potential. Materials and Methods. A mixed-method research design was operationalized, incorporating targeted open-source data extraction, content analysis, comparative analysis, and descriptive processing of quantitative indicators. The empirical foundation comprised official and industry publications from the 2024–2026 period, containing data on reserves, projected resources, processing structures, and international initiatives in the critical materials domain. Results. The analysis establishes that Kazakhstan possesses a substantial and diversified mineral base across materials of high strategic priority to the United States, including rare earth elements (REE), lithium, nickel, cobalt, tungsten, beryllium, niobium, molybdenum, and gallium. Particularly significant are the estimated REE reserves, reaching 2.6 million tons, alongside major prospective deposits, notably Kuirektykol and Zhana Kazakhstan. However, the country exhibits an extremely low share of domestic rare metal processing, which constrains value capture and perpetuates the sector’s raw material–oriented profile. Conclusion. The economic potential of US–Kazakhstan cooperation is demonstrated to reside not primarily in the expansion of extraction per se, but in the establishment of joint ventures encompassing geological exploration, processing, and technological localization. This positions Kazakhstan as a promising node in the diversification of global critical material supply chains and provides the foundation for a long-term investment and industrial partnership with the United States.

Keywords: critical materials; rare earth elements; Kazakhstan; United States; geological exploration; mineral processing; supply chains; energy transition; mineral securit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F13 F53 L72 O13 Q34 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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