US Firms Eye Pakistan’s Rare Earth Minerals in Major Exploration Push

Pakistan’s largely untapped antimony resources are attracting renewed international attention, as US-based mining company Nova Minerals Limited has confirmed early-stage discussions on sourcing the strategic metal from Pakistan, a move that could place the country on the global map for critical minerals.

Nova Minerals, listed on both the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and Nasdaq, said this week that talks regarding Pakistani antimony remain preliminary and are currently limited to evaluating small volumes for technical testing. The clarification followed media reports suggesting the company had already entered into arrangements to acquire antimony from Pakistan.

Antimony is classified as a critical mineral by the United States and Canada due to its importance in defense manufacturing, flame retardants, batteries, semiconductors, and energy infrastructure. The metal is also used in military applications such as ammunition, night-vision equipment, and electronics.

In a statement to the ASX, the company said discussions were “exploratory in nature” and focused on sourcing antimony concentrate for testing purposes, mainly to assess the suitability of its processing facilities.

The company added that its main priorities for 2026 remain the completion of its feasibility study for gold assets and the start of production of military-grade antimony trisulfide in the United States. That production is supported by a recent $43.4 million award from the US Department of Defense aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains for critical minerals.

North America is currently heavily dependent on imports, particularly from China, which dominates global antimony production and processing. That dependence has prompted Western governments and companies to search for alternative and politically stable supply sources.

Pakistan, which hosts known antimony occurrences in Balochistan and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has emerged as a potential supplier amid global efforts to diversify mineral sourcing.

The Financial Times reported last month that Pakistan-based Himalayan Earth Exploration had signed a “strategic partnership” with Nova Minerals to explore antimony opportunities and strengthen economic ties between Pakistan and the United States.

In November, a Nova Minerals delegation met Pakistan’s Board of Investment (BOI), where the company expressed interest in investing in Pakistan’s mining sector, particularly in antimony and rare earth minerals.

Nova Minerals chief executive Christopher Gerteisen told the Financial Times that the company plans to purchase more than 100 tons of antimony concentrate from Pakistan for approximately $2 million early next year for testing and processing at its facilities in Alaska.

He added that the company may eventually establish downstream processing operations in Pakistan if the project proves commercially and technically viable.

“The Department of War encouraged us to go out in the world and find whatever we can,” Gerteisen was quoted as saying, referring to US efforts to secure non-Chinese sources of strategic minerals.

For Pakistan, the interest signals a potential opportunity to monetize its underdeveloped mineral resources and attract foreign investment into a sector long hindered by regulatory uncertainty, infrastructure gaps and security challenges.

Analysts say that while the discussions remain at an early stage, sustained foreign interest in antimony and rare earths could help Pakistan diversify exports beyond textiles and agriculture, provided the country can offer stable policy frameworks, transparent licensing processes and reliable infrastructure.

If materialized, investment in antimony could not only generate export revenue but also encourage local value addition through processing and refining, a shift that policymakers have long advocated to move Pakistan up the global commodities value chain.

For now, Nova Minerals’ interest remains exploratory. But it highlights Pakistan’s growing relevance in the global race for critical minerals, a race driven by geopolitics, supply chain security and the world’s accelerating demand for advanced technologies.