Canada should back critical minerals with buyers

The federal government’s first move through the Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator did not go to a lithium developer or a nickel mine. It went to germanium, antimony and gallium at Teck Resources’ Trail smelter in British Columbia which has been running since the 1890s. The Canada Growth Fund agreed to a commercial framework for an equity-like investment of up to $400 million, …

Continue Reading

Trump orders restrictions on export of critical minerals

US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an order giving federal officials the power to block exports of old batteries and other electronic waste filled with critical minerals, part of a broader push to boost domestic recycling and counter China‘s grip on materials vital to national security, according to two White House officials familiar with the matter. The presidential determination allows the Commerce Department to issue rules …

Continue Reading

South African PGM Supply Risk: The Geological Reality in 2026

The Geology That Cannot Be Legislated Away Most critical mineral supply risks have a policy remedy. Build more processing capacity, diversify trade relationships, renegotiate supply agreements. Platinum group metals are different. South African PGM supply risk is not an artefact of trade policy or corporate consolidation. It is a geological reality, and geological realities do not respond to executive orders …

Continue Reading

Central banks’ gold rush hits record in Q2 as geopolitical risks persist

Central banks bought a record 289 tonnes of gold in the second quarter, a 74 per cent annual increase, as geopolitical uncertainty strengthened the case for bullion as a reserve asset, the World Gold Council said. That was also a more than five-fold increase from the first quarter’s revised total of 57 tonnes, the London-based council added. The National Bank of Poland …

Continue Reading

Demand for lithium is surging: here’s how to make mining more sustainable

Researchers are looking for ways to extract the metal from underground reservoirs that use less water. As more people seek out electric vehicles and batteries to store renewable energy, demand for lithium, the metal at the core of most rechargeable batteries, is intensifying. But mining lithium has substantial impacts on the environment. A wave of innovative technologies could make its extraction …

Continue Reading

With Inflation at 3.5%, Is Now a Good Time to Buy the SPDR Gold ETF? Here’s What History Says.

The U.S. Federal Reserve aims to keep the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation increasing at a rate of 2% per year. Unfortunately, the CPI was tracking at a much higher annualized rate of 3.5% in June, which is why Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh is talking about hiking interest rates. Inflation refers to a general rise in the price …

Continue Reading

China’s gold imports jump 89% in first half as prices retreat

June imports climb to 173.34 tons, highest since March 2024, according to customs data International gold price falls 8% in first half, while yuan-denominated price drops 10%   China’s gold imports surged 89.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2026 as falling bullion prices, a stronger yuan and sustained demand from investors and commercial banks encouraged overseas purchases. The country …

Continue Reading

Africa urged to process bauxite and other critical minerals locally to drive industrial growth

African nations have been urged to accelerate domestic processing of bauxite and “other” critical minerals instead of continuing to export raw materials, as leaders push to transform the continent into a global hub for value-added mineral production. Speaking at the African Development Bank (AfDB) Ministerial Forum in Abidjan, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals and Chair of the Africa Mineral Strategy …

Continue Reading

Trump’s Critical Minerals Policy Is A $6.5 Trillion Trap

President Donald Trump’s campaign to purge Chinese-linked critical minerals from federal supply chains is facing the U.S. industrial reality check. Federal contractors must stop purchasing specified rare earths, magnets, tungsten, molybdenum and tantalum from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea by January 1, 2027. Trump has sought to end the waiver system that long softened those restrictions, declaring in a May 11 …

Continue Reading

Recent Comments

No comments to show.

Categories