New Delhi, May 16 -- The U.S. announced Friday it is turning its attention toward Guyana's abundant bauxite and other resources for business opportunities at a time when the Trump administration is increasingly eyeing Latin American energy and minerals.

U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg held talks this week with top Guyanese officials, including President Irfaan Ali, in the South American country experiencing an oil boom.

The country's mass oil reserves discovered in the last decade have increased Guyana's geopolitical importance, which has been further amplified by a global energy crisis caused by the Iran war. Its bauxite reserves are critical for producing aluminum.

The Trump administration has more aggressivel...