Inalum, the state-owned aluminium producer, has asked the Indonesian government to tighten raw-material import rules and stimulate domestic demand after Washington doubled its tariff on imported aluminium to 50 per cent. Company president Melati Sarnita told Parliament the new US levy could slash exports of processed Indonesian products by about 30,000 tonnes next year, squeezing...
READ MORERio Tinto, diversified mining group, has absorbed about $300 million in extra costs since March after the United States lifted import duties on Canadian aluminium to 50 per cent, a move the company says only partly offset by a surge in U.S. Midwest premiums for the metal. Tariff Impact on Rio’s Aluminium Flows The...
READ MORERusal, Russia’s largest aluminium producer, is negotiating with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and key State Duma committees for new policy instruments that would ease the import of bauxite and alumina feedstock into Russia and allow the company to accelerate investment in mines and refineries in “friendly” jurisdictions. Deputy chief executive Oleg Vaitman told...
READ MOREChina’s Ministry of Commerce, the country’s trade regulator, and the Ministry of Science and Technology, its policy adviser, have revised the national list of technologies subject to export controls for the fourth time since 2001. The move inserts lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery-cathode preparation technology into the “restricted” column—requiring exporters to obtain a licence—while deleting three construction-related...
READ MOREA 50% proposed tariff on copper imports into the United States will have little impact on India’s copper sector. Its position as a net importer of the metal, along with record domestic demand from the renewable energy and electric vehicle sectors, offers a significant buffer against the prospective trade disruption. An Import-Dependent Market India’s role...
READ MOREPresident Donald Trump has confirmed on July 9th that the United States will apply 50% tariffs to all imports of copper starting August 1st, after what he called a “robust national security assessment”. The news initiated the biggest one-day copper price rise in recorded history, with New York Comex futures jumping 17% before closing 2.6%...
READ MOREThe Battery Metals Association of Canada, a trade organization representing battery-metals explorers and producers, has released comprehensive reports identifying Western Canada as an optimal location for mid-stream critical-minerals processing facilities that could capture greater economic value from the country’s abundant mineral resources. The analysis, conducted by Transition Accelerator consultants, targets nine critical minerals—including copper, lithium,...
READ MOREUganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, led by Minister Ruth Nankabirwa, has launched comprehensive reforms to the country’s mineral licensing system aimed at addressing bureaucratic bottlenecks and transparency issues that have constrained investor confidence in the East African nation’s mining sector. The initiative, supported by a €6.2 million ($6.6 million) European Union and German...
READ MORENigeria has unveiled plans to construct what officials describe as Africa’s largest rare earth processing facility alongside four lithium processing plants, representing over $1.4 billion in announced investments as the West African nation attempts to transform its artisanal mining sector into industrial-scale operations. The initiative includes a $600 million lithium plant spanning Kaduna and Niger...
READ MOREEurasian Resources Group, a Kazakhstan-based mining conglomerate with operations across Africa and Central Asia, plans to invest $20 million in gallium production facilities that would position Kazakhstan as the world’s second-largest producer of the critical semiconductor metal after China. The company will extract gallium from bauxite ore waste streams at its existing alumina operations, targeting...
READ MOREThe Canadian federal government announced on Thursday that it will adjust its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum products starting July 21, 2025, a move directly tied to the progress of intense trade negotiations with the Trump administration. The adjustment is part of a multi-pronged strategy to protect Canadian industries from what Ottawa has...
READ MOREThe Indonesian government is launching a new drive to attract investment into its downstream copper sector, aiming to transform the nation from a primary processor into a manufacturer of high-value, secondary products for the global electronics and electric vehicle industries. An official from the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming confirmed that the government is preparing...
READ MOREThe Indonesian Nickel Miners Association has received government approval to establish a domestic metal exchange targeting a first-half 2026 launch, as the world’s largest nickel producer seeks greater influence over global pricing after nickel ended 2024 at four-year lows. The exchange will initially focus on nickel pig iron futures contracts before expanding to other nickel...
READ MOREA chlorine gas leak at Kazakhstan’s Ust-Kamenogorsk Titanium and Magnesium Plant has raised concerns about potential supply disruptions that could drive global titanium prices up at least 15-20%, according to observers’ forecasts. The incident at UKTMP, which supplies 11% of global titanium production and 18% of aerospace-grade metal, highlights the concentrated nature of titanium supply...
READ MOREThe International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that global copper demand, driven by the transition to low-carbon energy systems, will outpace supply by as much as 30% by 2035 if new investments and projects do not materialize. The agency’s latest Global Critical Minerals Outlook highlights that copper—a metal essential for electrical grids, renewable energy, and...
READ MOREIndia’s government is preparing to defend its recent restrictions on copper cathode imports, arguing that there is adequate domestic supply and a sufficient number of certified suppliers, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The dispute stems from a petition filed with the Bombay High Court by the Bombay Metal Exchange and the Bombay...
READ MOREThe government of Guinea has initiated the process of withdrawing Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA) mining licence, escalating a dispute over customs duties that began in October 2024. The move follows the suspension of EGA’s bauxite exports and mining operations in the country. According to sources cited by Reuters, Guinea has officially notified EGA of the...
READ MOREThe Trump administration has moved to expedite federal permitting for U.S. mining projects, adding Resolution Copper in Arizona and several others to the Federal Permitting Dashboard as part of a broader strategy to strengthen domestic mineral supply chains. The dashboard, managed under the FAST-41 initiative, is designed to increase transparency and accountability in the permitting...
READ MOREAustralia’s government has announced plans to establish a $1.2 billion (USD 760 million) strategic reserve of critical minerals, aiming to reduce dependence on China and strengthen the country’s position in global supply chains. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese detailed the initiative on April 24, stating that the reserve will focus on 31 minerals vital for modern...
READ MOREStandard Lithium and ExxonMobil subsidiary Saltwerx LLC are seeking approval from the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission (AOGC) to establish lithium brine production units covering over 77,000 acres in Lafayette, Miller, and Columbia counties. The applications, set for review on April 22, mark a critical step toward commercial lithium extraction in the Smackover Formation, which...
READ MOREAustralia’s ability to produce basic metals such as copper, lead, zinc, nickel, and steel is under threat as aging smelters and refineries struggle to compete against subsidized Chinese operations. Multinational commodity firms Trafigura and Glencore are urging federal and state governments to intervene, framing metal processing as a national security imperative. Trafigura, which operates the...
READ MOREUS businessman James Cameron has made a $5 billion offer to acquire Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a major Luxembourg-based mining conglomerate with significant operations in Kazakhstan and Africa. The bid, confirmed in a letter sent to ERG’s board, comes as the company prepares to participate in a major expansion of Kazakhstan’s rare earths output, aiming...
READ MOREThe Trump administration has moved to accelerate domestic mineral production by granting priority permitting status to ten major mining projects under the FAST-41 program, a federal initiative designed to streamline approvals for critical infrastructure. This action, announced by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, is a direct response to President Trump’s March 20 executive order,...
READ MOREMP Materials, operator of the only rare earths mine in the United States, has stopped shipping rare earth elements to China after Beijing imposed new export controls and a 125% tariff on U.S. rare earth imports. The move is part of a broader effort to “reindustrialize” the U.S. minerals supply chain and reduce dependence on...
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