Apple Taps MP Materials for US-Made Rare-Earth Magnets in $500 Million Supply Shift

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CoMP) has warned that the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities are likely to heighten volatility in industrial metals markets, particularly nickel and copper, while prompting investors to seek refuge in gold. The assessment comes as global commodity and financial markets react to escalating geopolitical tensions in…

Contemporary Amperex Technology, China’s largest battery manufacturer, has commenced construction of an integrated battery production facility in Indonesia through a joint venture with Indonesia Battery Corporation and state-owned PT Aneka Tambang. The project targets initial production capacity of 6.9 gigawatt-hours by late 2026, expanding to 15 GWh for electric vehicle applications, while Indonesian officials suggest…

Nornickel, Russia’s largest metals company and the world’s leading producer of refined nickel and palladium, has deployed QR code tracking technology at its Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company facility in Russia’s Murmansk region, enabling customers to access basic product information through mobile scanning. The system provides batch identification, weight data, and manufacturing details for the…

Platinum prices have climbed from below $900 per ounce in early April 2025 to nearly $1,400 per ounce by late June, marking a 50% increase and reaching the highest levels in almost a decade. The rally has lifted platinum mining stocks dramatically, with Impala Platinum gaining 75% year-to-date, Northam Platinum advancing 88%, and Sibanye-Stillwater jumping…

Sibanye-Stillwater, diversified precious-metals producer and recycler, has agreed to acquire Metallix Refining, a US-based processor of industrial waste streams, for a cash consideration of $82 million and an enterprise value of $105 million. The seller’s headline rand figure of R1.45 billion equates to about $81.2 million at today’s rate, broadly in line with the dollar…

Sibanye-Stillwater, gold and PGM producer, and South Africa’s Kloof–Driefontein and Beatrix complex operator, reported a 13% year-on-year drop in South African gold production to 300,191 oz (9.3 t) for January–June 2025 as first-quarter disruptions at Kloof and Driefontein lingered into Q2, while group PGM volumes softened with US operations curtailed under low-price conditions. The company…

The Palladium Global Science Award, launched in March 2025, supports pioneering research in palladium-based materials. Open to scientists, startups, and research teams, the award seeks proposals for novel applications of palladium. Submissions are due by July 31, 2025. The initiative aims to recognize and fund breakthrough ideas in the development of palladium materials with unique…

Johnson Matthey analysts expect the palladium market to move into balance in 2025, following more than a decade of deficits from 2012 to 2024. This shift is driven by a 6% drop in palladium demand, mainly due to reduced production of gasoline vehicles and weaker investment interest. The outlook for platinum group metals (PGMs)—platinum, palladium,…

Nornickel, one of the world’s largest producers of nickel and palladium, maintained stable production in the first quarter of 2025, with only marginal declines in most key metals despite persistent headwinds in the global metals market. The company reported a 1.1% year-on-year decrease in nickel output to 41.6 thousand tonnes, a 0.4% dip in copper…