Evion Group NL has noted the United States Senate's passage of a three-year extension to the African Growth and Opportunity Act by 90 votes to 6, carrying the trade program through to December 31, 2028.

The legislation includes new Congressional provisions directing that access to, and processing of, critical minerals in eligible African countries be prioritized and streamlined. Madagascar, where Evion holds the Maniry Graphite Project, is a designated beneficiary country under the trade framework. Maniry has also been recognized by the European Union as a Strategic Project under its Critical Raw Materials Act.

Alongside the Madagasy asset, Evion operates a downstream graphite processing business through the Panthera Graphite Technologies joint venture in India, which ships products to the United States and Europe.

“Congress has just written critical minerals into the centre of the primary trade instrument governing United States engagement with Africa, and it has done so with an explicit view to reducing dependence on China.”

“We have an asset in Madagascar that the European Union has already designated as strategic, an operating graphite processing business shipping into the United States, and a seat inside the Department of Defense industrial base consortium. Very few companies of our size sit across those three positions.”

— David Round, Managing Director

Enactment of the extension remains subject to House concurrence and presidential signature. Evion is monitoring the legislative process ahead of Congress returning from recess in September 2026.

Read the full announcement: US confirms its commitment to strengthening ties in Africa