The US and El Salvador have signed a landmark agreement to boost investment in critical minerals, allowing U.S. companies to operate in El Salvador and strengthening trade, infrastructure, and security cooperation between the two countries.
The US and El Salvador signed an agreement to promote US investment in El Salvador’s critical minerals sector on 29 January 2026.
Signed in Washington, the deal allows US companies to participate across the full critical minerals supply chain and requires El Salvador to provide infrastructure support, including energy and telecommunications, on terms comparable to those offered to other investors.
The agreement follows El Salvador’s decision in December 2024 to lift its long-standing mining ban, a move backed by President Nayib Bukele despite opposition from environmental groups.
Bukele has pointed to the country’s mineral reserves, such as rhenium and silicon, which have recently been added to the US list of critical minerals used in clean energy, defence, and manufacturing.
The pact also includes commitments by El Salvador to cooperate with U.S. sanctions, export controls, and defence-related trade measures.
Bukele described the deal as the first reciprocal trade agreement in the Western Hemisphere, complementing existing duty-free access under the CAFTA-DR trade agreement, which includes the US, Central America, and the Dominican Republic.
