MADAGASCAR · US TRADE
Key Facts
- —The country Madagascar is an Indian Ocean island nation led by army officer Colonel Michael Randrianirina.
- —The envoy Thomas Bevan has led the US embassy in Antananarivo since August, until an ambassador arrives.
- —What happened On 31 October he named Madagascar minerals a priority for trade and investment.
- —The money so far A US agency committed up to US$4.84 million in July to a Madagascar rare earths project.
- —Trade backdrop The US trade law AGOA now runs to 31 December 2028, after a two-year extension.
The top US diplomat in Madagascar says Washington wants cooperation on Madagascar minerals, from graphite and nickel to rare earths. Thomas Bevan, the acting head of the US embassy, made the case in an interview published on Saturday 31 October.
The island is one of the places where Washington looks for metals beyond China’s reach. Our earlier report covers the US-backed rare earths project in the north.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
A chargé d’affaires is the diplomat who runs an embassy when there is no ambassador. Bevan took over the US mission to Madagascar and the Comoros in August 2026 and met President Randrianirina on 20 August.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina is an army officer who took power in October 2025 after weeks of street protests, and he calls his programme the Refoundation. Critical minerals are metals and minerals that modern batteries, magnets and weapons depend on, and whose supply is concentrated in a few countries.
What Bevan Said About Madagascar Critical Minerals
Bevan named trade and investment, health and maritime security as his priorities, and called Madagascar minerals the area with the most room to grow. Strategic minerals head his list of business sectors, ahead of agriculture, textiles, tourism, energy and telecoms.
He said cooperation on Madagascar minerals should create jobs, tax income and infrastructure for the island. He did not name China, give figures or announce a new project.
Bevan also said the two countries will soon mark 160 years of relations, counted from a peace, friendship and trade treaty signed in 1867. Asked about the stalled Vara Mada mining project, he spoke only in general terms of local jobs and tax revenue.
Why Washington Wants These Metals
Madagascar ranked second among the world’s graphite producers in 2024, with about 5% of world output, according to the US Geological Survey. It also mines nickel and cobalt, estimated at about 30,000 metric tons of nickel and 3,100 tons of cobalt that year.
China produced an estimated 82% of the world’s natural graphite in 2025, according to the US Geological Survey. US buyers therefore want other sources, and Bevan said Washington wants to build cooperation in this field.
What the United States Has Already Done
The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a state-backed lender, committed up to US$4.84 million to the Ampasindava rare earths project on 22 July. The project’s owner, Harena Rare Earths, says the money pays for permits, environmental studies and a pilot plant.
Harena says the money is already being drawn down and moves the project toward a feasibility study, the report that precedes a mining decision. Our rare earths report has the detail.
AGOA and the Trade Link
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is the US law that gives eligible African countries duty-free access to the American market. Bevan said President Donald Trump signed a two-year extension on 2 September, and that a longer one is for Congress.
He added that the AGOA eligibility rules have not changed, as far as he knows. Our Madagascar news guide for US readers explains what the extension to the end of 2028 means for clothing and vanilla exporters.
What It Means for US Readers
Nothing changes at once for US consumers or travellers, because Bevan announced no deal, tariff or project. The longer-term link is to the price and supply of batteries, magnets and electric vehicles, which depend on Madagascar minerals.
Investors can follow Harena Rare Earths, which is listed in London, and its next steps at Ampasindava. Travellers should check the current US travel rating before booking, as our Madagascar explainer notes.
What Is Not Known
Bevan gave no size, date or company for any new US deal on Madagascar minerals. It is not known whether Washington will seek preferential access, or how Madagascar’s army-led government would respond.
The interview did not say how the United States would handle local opposition to mining, or whether metals would be processed in Madagascar. Marc Dillard, nominated in August as US ambassador, had a Senate hearing on 30 September and has not yet taken up the post.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the US envoy say about Madagascar minerals?
Thomas Bevan said on 31 October that critical minerals offer the most room for growth in US-Madagascar trade and investment. He announced no deal or figures.
Which critical minerals does Madagascar have?
Madagascar produces graphite, nickel and cobalt, and has rare earths in the north. It ranked second in graphite output in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey.
Who is Thomas Bevan?
He is the chargé d’affaires, the acting head, of the US embassy in Antananarivo since August 2026. Marc Dillard, the nominated ambassador, has not yet taken up the post.
Has the United States invested in Madagascar minerals?
Yes. The US International Development Finance Corporation, a state-backed lender, committed up to US$4.84 million in July to the Ampasindava rare earths project.
Does AGOA still cover Madagascar?
AGOA now runs to 31 December 2028, after a two-year extension signed on 2 September. Eligibility rules are unchanged, according to Bevan.
Sources: US Embassy Antananarivo: Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Bevan, profile and meeting with President Randrianirina, August 2026; US Embassy Antananarivo, Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Bevan: interview on US-Madagascar relations, critical minerals and AGOA, 31 October 2026; Harena Rare Earths: company release on the Project Development Funding Agreement with the US International Development Finance Corporation, 22 July 2026; US Geological Survey, National Minerals Information Center: Madagascar, 2024 data; Office of the US Trade Representative: African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), 2 November 2026; White House: Nominations Sent to the Senate (Marc Dillard, ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros), August 2026; US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: nominations hearing, 30 September 2026, 30 September 2026.
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