Why Europe is relying on the Lobito Corridor

Why the Lobito Corridor is becoming strategic for Europe

A route is emerging right through the middle of Africa's mineral belt that could become significantly important for European industry. The Lobito Corridor connects resource-rich mining regions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Angola with the Atlantic port of Lobito. From there, transport routes to Western Europe and the USA are significantly shorter than via many routes used until now.

According to a report by the press agency Dpa, the rail route is intended to bring critical mineral resources for modern key technologies to Europe. These include copper , cobalt , lithium , coltan, nickel and rare earths . These raw materials are considered central for the energy transition, electric mobility, batteries, wind turbines, solar modules and industrial key technologies.

The political dimension is just as important as the logistical one. The corridor is intended to counter China's growing influence in Africa. During her visit to China, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche had called for reliable access and fair market access conditions for critical raw materials and rare earths. The background is Germany's strong dependence on Beijing for strategically important goods.

Europe's countermodel to China's New Silk Road

The European Union designed its global infrastructure initiative "Global Gateway" as a countermodel to China's New Silk Road. The Lobito Corridor is considered a flagship project in this context. The USA is also investing in the route.

Angolan economist Benedito Mavo accordingly classifies the significance of the project: "Whoever takes a leading part in the project will be able to secure a large part of Africa's mineral wealth." The megaproject could become one of the most important transport routes worldwide. Numerous European and German companies are already involved or are showing interest in contracts along the route.

In past decades, China has built roads, ports, rail lines and other infrastructure projects in Africa. In doing so, Beijing secured access to many of the continent's mineral resources. In addition, China controls numerous mines and processing facilities for critical minerals in Africa. According to the report, the West was hardly present for a long time. The Lobito Corridor is intended to correct this omission and enable Europe and the USA to have their own raw materials axis.

How far has the Lobito Corridor already been expanded?

The corridor is no longer just a planning project. The longest part of the planned rail line is already in operation. It runs for just under 1,800 kilometers from the Congolese industrial city of Kolwezi to the Angolan Atlantic port of Lobito.

The concession is held by a European consortium under the name “Lobito Atlantic Railway” (LAR). Involved are the commodities trader Trafigura, the construction company Mota-Engil and the rail operator Vecturis.

There are still 450 kilometers of track missing into the heart of the Zambian copper belt. In addition, an 800-kilometer alternative route is planned, which runs directly from Angola to Zambia. Both sections are to be completed by 2028.

Why Africa's raw materials are so important for industry

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, Africa has around 30 % of the world's mineral resources. The Congo and Zambia are among the largest producers of copper, which is used among other things in solar modules and wind turbines. The Congo is also one of the world's largest producers of cobalt, which is needed for batteries for electric cars.

Angola also has, alongside large oil reserves, critical mineral deposits for modern key technologies. This means that the Lobito Corridor connects regions that are particularly relevant for the energy and mobility transition.

For German industry, the significance extends far beyond individual raw materials markets. The automotive industry, mechanical engineering and chemicals are highly dependent on critical raw materials. A functioning route via Lobito could enable more direct, more transparent and politically less risky supply chains.

EU and USA invest billions in infrastructure

As part of “Global Gateway,” the EU and nine member states, including Germany, are providing investments of more than 2 billion EUR. The USA has already pledged hundreds of millions of USD.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier explicitly called on German companies to invest along the route during his visit to Angola in November 2025. The route is of “enormous economic importance.”

This shows the strategic role the corridor now plays. It is not only about transport costs, but about industrial policy, security of supply and geopolitical capacity to act.

How the Lobito Corridor saves time, money and emissions

So far, many raw material shipments have been transported by truck over dilapidated roads to faraway ports. One route runs for a good 3,000 kilometers to Durban in South Africa. A truck needs about four weeks for this. Another connection runs around 2,200 kilometers to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Despite the shorter distance, the transport takes around 35 days.

Bad weather, accidents and delays at border crossings further extend transport times. From Kolwezi to Lobito, by contrast, rail transport takes only seven days, says LAR managing director Nicolas Gregoir. That saves time, money and CO₂ emissions.

Another advantage lies in the security situation at sea. Along the West African coast, the risk of piracy is lower than off the Horn of Africa, where attacks on ships are repeatedly reported, especially off Somalia.

First raw material transports are already underway

The European consortium officially started commercial freight transport on the route in February 2024. Six months later, the first copper shipment from the Congo destined for the USA rolled over the rails. In May 2026, the first cobalt transport followed.

According to Gregoir, around 200,000 tons of international freight were transported in 2025. In global comparison, these are still small volumes. However, capacity is increasing continuously. The goal is one million tons per year.

Renovation work is also underway at the port of Lobito in order to be able to handle raw material transports in large volumes. Railway tracks are being laid right up to the dry port and to freight terminals. The harbor basin is being deepened so that even very large container ships with drafts of up to 17 meters can dock. There is also an international airport operating nearby.

Which German companies are active on the Lobito corridor

The Lobito corridor is already attracting the interest of German and international logistics providers. Hapag-Lloyd sales manager for Angola, Marco Ligeiro, expects that the route will soon become a hub for transports toward the USA and EU. The shipping company has already transported copper via the Lobito corridor to Asia and Europe.

Customers of DHL Global Forwarding are also showing keen interest in the railway line, according to the managing director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Egidio Monteiro. For logistics service providers, the corridor can thus become a new axis between African mining regions and international industrial markets.

On the industry side, Siemens Mobility is currently applying for a contract to improve the travel speed and safety of the Lobito Corridor. The German company Gauff GmbH has already won a contract for the construction of a 170-kilometer road section. This is to run between the Angolan cities of Munhango and Luena parallel to the railway corridor.

The Lobito Corridor as a building block of new supply chains

The Lobito Corridor stands for a strategic shift in raw materials policy. Europe no longer wants to obtain critical minerals predominantly via existing, politically vulnerable supply chains. Instead, its own, more reliable route through Africa is to be created.

For industry, the connection can be an important building block for increasing security of supply, transparency and speed. At the same time, the expansion remains demanding. Additional rail connections still have to be completed, port capacities expanded and transport volumes ramped up.

What is certain is this: with the Lobito Corridor, the debate about critical raw materials is getting a concrete infrastructure. For Europe, the USA and German industry, the project is more than a railway line. It is an attempt to reorganize the supply of raw materials for key future technologies.