China chokes tungsten exports to the United States – by Annie Lee (Bloomberg News/Financial Post – February 6, 2025)

https://financialpost.com/

Tungsten hasn’t been mined commercially in the U.S. since 2015, the nation counting China as its biggest source

The phone has been ringing off the hook for Lewis Black after China imposed export controls on tungsten, a niche metal mined by his firm that’s crucial to weapons manufacturing.

The chief executive officer of North America’s Almonty Industries Inc. said his customers are in a “state of disbelief” following Beijing’s move on Tuesday, one of a suite of measures announced as a riposte to tariffs placed on Chinese goods by the Trump administration.

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Philippine lawmakers to approve bill to ban ore exports – by Cliff Venzon and Neil Jerome Morales (Bloomberg News – February 6, 2025)

https://www.bloomberg.com/

The Philippine Congress could ratify a bill banning raw mineral exports as soon as June, the Senate leader said on Thursday, a plan that investors warn could lead to mine closures.

Congress is on a break after this week and sessions resume in June, but Senate President Francis Escudero hopes there would be a bicameral committee meeting with members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives to tackle the bill. “I’m hoping it will be done during the break so we can ratify it when sessions resume,” Escudero said in a briefing.

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Barrick reports 23% increase in gold reserves in 2024 (Mining Technology – February 7, 2025)

https://www.mining-technology.com/

The increase is primarily attributed to the Reko Diq copper-gold project in the Chagai district of Balochistan, Pakistan.

Canadian miner Barrick Gold has reported a 23% increase in its overall proven and probable gold reserves, reaching 17.4 million ounces (moz) at the end of 2024. This rise is primarily attributed to the Reko Diq copper-gold project in the Chagai district of Balochistan, Pakistan.

The company’s attributable proven and probable gold reserves stood at 89moz at 0.99 grams per tonne (g/t) in 2024, up from 77moz at 1.65g/t in 2023. This year-on-year increase was driven by the conversion of Reko Diq’s copper-gold resources into mineral reserves, contributing 13moz of gold at a grade of 0.28g/t on an attributable basis, after the completion of the feasibility study.

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Where are the critical minerals flashpoints in 2025? (Thomson Reuters Foundation – February 6, 2025)

https://www.eco-business.com/

M23 rebels’ advance in mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo puts green minerals rush in the spotlight.

The conflict playing out in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have sed vital mines in a lightning advance, spotlights the global race for access to critical minerals and the risk to local populations.

The race for minerals needed for renewable technologies – including coltan, lithium, cobalt and nickel – is set to ramp up this year as Europe and North America compete to secure access and break China’s grip on the supply chain.

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Coal Mine Disaster in India’s Assam Opens Can of Worms – by Rajeev Bhattacharyya (The Diplomat – February 07, 2025)

https://thediplomat.com/

Rat-hole mining is banned by the Supreme Court. But its practice persists under the noses of government officials and politicians.

A tragedy in a coal mine in the northeastern Indian state of Assam has turned the spotlight once again on the illegal practice of rat-hole mining, which thrives in the region despite a ban by the Supreme Court.

Four dead bodies of miners were retrieved last month from a flooded coal mine at Umrangso in Assam’s Dima Hasao district after water from a nearby unused mine suddenly flooded the site. Employees of the quarry were quoted as saying that there were around 15 workers trapped inside the mine, but the government did not confirm the number.

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The hidden cost of Mongolia’s mining boom – by Narantuya Chuluunbat (East Asia Forum – February 7, 2025)

https://eastasiaforum.org/

Mongolia’s burgeoning mining sector is a cornerstone of its economy. But it comes with inherent challenges, including environmental degradation, income inequality and community displacement. Mongolia’s policymakers must navigate the trade-offs between boosting economic growth by exploiting natural resources and preserving environmental integrity.

The mining sector accounted for 28.7 per cent of Mongolia’s GDP, 92.1 per cent of exports and 31.6 per cent of fiscal revenue in 2023 — one of the highest among resource-rich countries. The sector directly employed 73,180 people in 2023 — 5.7 per cent of total employment — and an estimated 60,000 in small-scale artisanal mining, a substantial source of employment in rural areas. Mining also supports numerous indirect jobs through related industries and services.

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China hits back at US tariffs with mineral export curbs – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – February 4, 2025)

https://www.mining.com/

China unveiled a series of retaliatory measures against the United States on Tuesday, including restrictions on the export of five critical metals used in defence, clean energy, and other industries. The move comes in response to President Trump’s announcement on Friday of a blanket 10% additional tariff on Chinese imports.

Beijing’s new export controls target tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium, and molybdenum, stating that export licenses will only be granted to companies complying with “relevant regulations.” However, the Chinese government has not provided details about the specific criteria for compliance.

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Tungsten supply crisis threatens defense and tech industries (The Oregon Group – February 04, 2025)

https://theoregongroup.substack.com/

China announces new export controls on tungsten, critical to modern technology

China has announced new export controls on 25 rare metals, including tungsten, in retaliation to a new 10% tariff by Trump on all US imports from China. The problem: China dominates global tungsten supply — accounting for more than 80% of the world’s mining and processing in 2023, as well as 58% of the world’s reserves at 2.3 million metric tons.

However, China’s dominance is increasingly seen as a strategic vulnerability by the US, EU and Japan amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

What is tungsten

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Chinese investors control 75% of Indonesia nickel refining capacity: report – by Frederic Tomesco (Northern Miner – February 5, 2025)

https://www.northernminer.com/

Chinese investors have managed to gain control over most nickel refining capacity in Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of the mineral – a dominance that may give China a greater say over future prices while crowding out rivals, a new report suggests.

Chinese companies or shareholders ultimately control at least three-quarters of Indonesia’s nickel refining capacity, though the holdings are hidden behind “layers of shell companies” to mask foreign ownership, according to an analysis prepared by the Washington-based Center for Advanced Defence Studies.

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Indonesia’s nickel sector faces headwinds from Trump’s electric vehicle curbs – by Amy Sood (South China Morning Post – February 5, 2025)

https://www.scmp.com/

US President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke electric vehicle incentives has raised concerns over its impact on Indonesia’s vital nickel sector and China’s dominance widening in the Southeast country’s EV supply chain.

Trump targeted EVs immediately after he was sworn in on January 20, annulling a 2021 executive order by former president Joe Biden that called for half of all new vehicles sold in the United States to be electric by 2030.

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Chinese gold demand looks to rebound as UK-U.S. flows continue, silver demand from solar may be peaking – Heraeus – by Ernest Hoffman (Kitco News – February 3, 2025)

https://www.kitco.com/

(Kitco News) – Gold demand in China is showing signs of a strong rebound even as physical flows from the UK to the U.S. continue, while there are indications that solar demand for silver may be peaking, according to precious metals analysts at Heraeus.

In their latest precious metals update, the analysts noted that Chinese wholesalers appear to be anticipating a rise in consumer demand for gold. “Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) withdrawals, a key indicator of wholesale and fabrication demand, typically rise in December and January as fabricators stock up for the Chinese New Year, which fell on 29 January this year,” they noted. “Consumer demand tends to also adhere to similar seasonality.

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Cash-keen Taliban betting on Afghanistan’s mines – by AFP/RSS (Republica.com – February 2, 2025

https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/

Emeralds, rubies, marble, gold and lithium: the resources buried across Afghanistan’s rocky landscape are estimated to be worth a trillion dollars, according to US and UN assessments from 2010 and 2013.

GOSHTA, Feb 2: A miner in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan poured water over a block of jade, exposing the green stone that is part of the Taliban authorities’ push to capitalise on the country’s rich mineral resources.

Touting the return of security, the Taliban government is rushing to court local and foreign investors to exploit the country’s underground wealth and secure a crucial revenue stream — though experts warn of the risks of cutting corners.

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Indonesia, home to the world’s largest nickel reserves, struggles to achieve its EV dreams – by Michelle Anindya (Rest of World.org – February 3, 2025)

https://restofworld.org/

China’s growing involvement and the rapid shift to lithium batteries dissuade investors.

Karawang county, located about 90 minutes by road from Jakarta, has been a major automotive hub in Indonesia for decades, housing factories of companies like Yamaha and Toyota. Last July, the industrial area added another feather to its cap when Southeast Asia’s first electric vehicle battery factory was unveiled there.

Established as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor, LG Energy, and the state-owned Indonesia Battery Corporation, the factory has the annual capacity to make battery cells sufficient to power 150,000 EVs. The factory marked a key step in Indonesia’s ambition to become a hub of EV manufacturing in the region, and one of the world leaders in EV battery production by 2027.

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Experts and advocates warn of nickel mining’s risk to precious marine region of Indonesia – by Victoria Milko (Associated Press – January 31, 2025)

https://apnews.com/

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — One of Earth’s most biodiverse marine regions is threatened by the expansion of nickel mining projects in Indonesia, according to a new report.

Satellite analysis and on-the-ground visits found a rapid increase in land given over to mining pits in Raja Ampat Regency, a group of tropical islands near West Papua, according to the report from Auriga Nusantara, an environmental and conservation organization in Indonesia.

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China funnelled $57 billion to control critical mineral supply chain – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – January 29, 2025)

https://www.mining.com/

China has systematically extended its control over critical minerals essential for the global energy transition and net-zero emissions, using a network of at least 26 state-backed financial institutions over the past two decades, a new report shows.

The database, compiled by AidData at the College of William & Mary in the United States, reveals how Beijing has leveraged an intricate web of financial mechanisms to dominate the global supply chain for critical minerals. These minerals — including copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium and rare earth elements — are vital for emerging technologies such as electric vehicle batteries and solar panels.

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