Despite administrative and policy changes in the US, I'm not holding my breath waiting for Mr Trump to ride in and smite all those who have done the dirty on AVZ. I believe the US remains too busy playing catch-up footy and fighting rear guard actions against the Chinese in other areas, and Mexicans to concern itself with a tiny piss-ant like AVZ, despite the eye-watering size and quality of the resource. The US is looking to advance its strategic minerals reserves domestically where possible, rather than rely on critical materials mined in some corrupt-to-the-bone far away country.
As we are all aware, the USA didn't suddenly and without warning arrive at this point. It got there through years of kicking the can down the road, Wongesque-like appeasement of Beijing and decades of misguided focus on the intractable cesspool of hatred and tit-for-tat revenge that is the Middle East...and a few other no-win distractions.
The USA (and also Europe) have no one to blame but themselves for the supply squeeze they now find themselves in.
Without doubt, neo-colonist China is the dominant rent-seeking parasite in Africa, and is proving a more malignant colonist than even the worst of the early colonists, Belgium and Germany. It has managed to enslave African nations without firing a shot. Graft, bribery and corruption are its weapons of choice.
When all the riches are stripped and shipped, China will walk away leaving the degradation, the pollution and the poverty for future generations to manage.
In the meantime, I believe we remain largely on our own; abandoned by our own government and the west generally. However, the recent CATH deal was like CPR at the 59th minute. This gives us some hope of a negotiated resolution...possibly in 2025.
Just thinking out aloud.
Cheers
F