CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Mirzoev, Nekruz |
|---|---|
| Title | Bridging Trade Gaps: Leveraging USTDA's Toolkit to Unlock U.S. Investment in Tajikistan's Critical Minerals Industry |
| Summary | The demand for critical minerals has shifted the primary focus of global competition. For the United States, lowering its dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains is no longer just a strategic choice but a necessity (Rudenshiold 2025). While most attention focuses on prioritized regions, despite its considerable potential, Tajikistan's mining sector remains unnoticed. In the area where China and Russia have a strong presence, especially in hydropower and infrastructure, mining is still a mostly unused opportunity. Beneath Tajikistan’s mountainous terrain lies a wealth of resources, including gold, silver, antimony, and rare earth elements (REEs), essential for emerging and future technologies. The presence of antimony alone significantly elevates Tajikistan’s strategic relevance. With the second-largest reserves in the world, it supports industries like semiconductor manufacturing and defense (Rahimov and Mamadjonov 2015). At the same time, rare earths such as cerium, neodymium, and lanthanum fit directly into America’s renewable energy plans. Here, diversifying U.S. access to alternative sources becomes a national priority (Renaud 2019). However, there are significant barriers to U.S. firms investing in Tajikistan. Challenges such as complex licensing procedures, weak legal protections for foreign investors, and outdated infrastructure have created substantial barriers for companies seeking to enter the market. For American firms, these issues are further complicated by the strong economic presence of China and Russia in the region. This combination of internal and external obstacles has made it difficult for the U.S. to establish a stable role, leaving its involvement in Tajikistan’s mining sector limited and inconsistent. This paper argues that the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) can be a strong tool to change this situation. Using Reverse Trade Missions (RTMs) and the Global Procurement Initiative, USTDA can do more than just make it easier to enter the market. It can change the whole environment for investors. RTMs give a platform for talking about rules, training on how to buy goods, and creating direct links between U.S. businesses and Tajik officials, which is necessary for building trust. The research adopts a qualitative content analysis of USTDA reports, U.S. trade agreements, and Tajikistan’s investment regulations to assess existing barriers and policy gaps. Analyzing USTDA-funded projects in the Philippines and Southern Africa reveals best practices in leveraging feasibility studies and infrastructure support, particularly in the mining sector (USTDA 2022b). These insights will help develop an action plan for applying similar strategies in Tajikistan’s mining industry. Additionally, stakeholder mapping adds to the study by finding Tajik government agencies and American companies with or possible interest in mining. This network creates a base for longer and stronger engagement, not just one-time investments. This research aims to develop a targeted action plan for how USTDA can support U.S. private sector entry into Tajikistan’s mining industry. By the end of the study, the findings will outline specific mechanisms and stakeholders through which USTDA can expand feasibility studies, optimize RTMs for direct business-government engagement, and integrate procurement training programs to improve investment conditions. |
| Supervisor | Strausz, Erzsebet |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/mirzoev_nekruz.pdf |
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