Algeria taps Chile for copper and lithium expertise as China expands control over African lithium refining

Algeria's Minister of Mines and Mining Industry, Mourad Hanifi, met with Chilean Ambassador Juan Claudio Valenzuela in Algiers to revive bilateral cooperation on copper and lithium. The two sides agreed to restart a mixed mining commission and set up a technical working group to identify concrete projects, exchange expertise in exploration and environmentally‑friendly extraction, and train engineers. Chile, a world leader in copper production and with large lithium reserves, pledged to "share its expertise as a major player in the global mining industry" and to develop a "mutually beneficial partnership" with Algeria.

At the same time, Chinese companies have consolidated a dominant position in Africa's emerging lithium sector. Firms such as Zhejiang Huayou, Sinomine Resources, Ganfeng Lithium and Zijin Mining control major mines in Zimbabwe, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana, and are building local refining capacity that feeds Chinese battery manufacturers. China now accounts for about 62 % of global lithium‑refining capacity. While African states aim to add value locally—e.g., Zimbabwe plans to halt raw‑concentrate exports by 2027—the continent remains heavily dependent on Chinese processing and markets.

These developments highlight the strategic importance of lithium and copper in the energy transition and illustrate competing international approaches: Algeria seeking South American expertise to diversify its mining base, and China securing upstream African resources to feed its electric‑vehicle supply chain.