Lobito Corridor Secures Support from U.S.-EU Partnership
The U.S. and the European Union (EU) have formed a partnership to provide technical and financial support for the development of the Lobito Corridor in southern Africa amid efforts by the country and bloc to stimulate investment in strategic infrastructure corridors worldwide.
Through the partnership, the U.S. and EU will work collaboratively with Lobito Corridor host countries Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to upgrade critical infrastructure and unlock economic benefits for the countries.
The Lobito Corridor is a transregional infrastructure project connecting southern DRC and northwestern Zambia to global trade markets via Angola’s Port of Lobito.
Initially, the U.S.-EU partnership will support the respective governments in the launch of pre-feasibility studies for the construction of a new railway line linking eastern Angola with northern Zambia. The U.S. has already provided financial support for the refurbishment of a line linking the Lobito Port with the DRC.
Thereafter, the U.S. and EU will facilitate investment and development in critical minerals and clean energy supply chains; digital access and technology transfer; capacity building and workforce development; economic diversification and SME support; and agricultural value chains amid food security and production concerns.
Additional areas of cooperation in the three countries include transport infrastructure; trade, economic development and transit; and fuel inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
These initiatives aim to advance regional competitiveness and maximize opportunities created by the Lobito Corridor. The efforts by the U.S. and EU to support infrastructure development in southern Africa fall under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, an initiative launched by G7 leaders in 2022 aimed at mobilizing finance and expertise for the development of multibillion infrastructure dollar projects worldwide.
