Washington is assembling a package around the Gasaat phosphate project in Kasserine
The United States State Department and the American embassy in Tunis opened a funding opportunity in early August worth between 1,000,000 and 1,536,511 dollars over 18 to 24 months, titled “Safeguarding U.S. Critical Minerals Supply Chains – Tunisia”. The documents behind the call set a target of mobilising more than 100 million dollars of American private capital and a stake of 30 to 40 percent in PhosCo, the Australian company that has developed the Gasaat project in Kasserine since its wholly owned subsidiary Himilco Resources was granted the 112 square kilometre exploration permit on 6 March 2025. PhosCo reports a JORC-compliant resource of 166.6 million tonnes at an average grade of 20.6 percent phosphorus pentoxide, while adding that only four of the project's nine prospects have been drilled. Tunisian output was about 3.9 million tonnes in 2025 against 3.04 million in 2024, far below the 14 million tonnes by 2030 the government set out in March 2025.