Asia Mining – Page 23 – Republic of Mining

China launches Mineral War against USA by limiting exports of two products – by Girish Linganna (Northlines.com – July 12, 2023)

July 12, 2023

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China’s recent move to limit the export of two minerals crucial for semiconductors, solar panels, and missile systems serves as a significant reminder of its strong control over global mineral resources. This action also serves as a warning, indicating China’s readiness to utilize these resources as part of its growing competition and tensions with the United States.

China holds a significant position in the global supply chain for essential minerals used in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy. Approximately two-thirds of the world’s lithium and cobalt, vital for EV batteries, undergo processing in China.

Watchdog probing claims that Nike Canada, gold company benefiting from forced Uyghur labour – by Catharine Tunney (CBC New Politics – July 11, 2023)

July 12, 2023

https://www.cbc.ca/

Canada’s watchdog for corporate wrongdoing says she has enough to launch an investigation of allegations that Nike Canada and a gold mining company are benefiting from the forced labour of Uyghurs in China.

It’s the first time the office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) has launched an investigation since the federal government appointed Sheri Meyerhoffer to the role in April 2019. “These are very serious issues that have been brought to our attention,” Meyerhoffer said Tuesday.

China just fought back in the semiconductor exports war. Here’s what you need to know. – by Zeyi Yang (MIT Technology Review – July 10, 2023)

July 10, 2023

https://www.technologyreview.com/

The country aims to restrict the supply of gallium and germanium, two materials used in computer chips and other products. But experts say it won’t have the desired impact.

China has been on the receiving end of semiconductor export restrictions for years. Now, it is striking back with the same tactic. On July 3, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced that the export of gallium and germanium, two elements used in producing chips, solar panels, and fiber optics, will soon be subject to a license system for national security reasons.

That means exports of the materials will need to be approved by the government, and Western companies that rely on them could have a hard time securing a consistent supply from China.

The rush for nickel: ‘They are destroying our future’ – by Valdya Baraputri (BBC News Indonesia – July 9, 2023)

July 10, 2023

https://www.bbc.com/

Two men are carrying torches and homemade arrows as they slip into the ocean at night on an Indonesian island. They are from an indigenous community of Bajau people – renowned freedivers who find it better to hunt in the dark when fish, lobsters and sea cucumbers are less active.

But they fear time is running out for their traditional way of life. “Right now, the water is still clear,” says Tawing, one of the fishermen. “But it won’t stay that way… nickel waste enters our water during the rainy season and the current carries it here.”

Rio Tinto chairman bullish on Mongolian copper story – by Brad Thompson (Australian Financial Review – July 10, 2023)

July 10, 2023

https://www.afr.com/

Rio Tinto chairman Dominic Barton says the mining giant is committed to building its footprint in Mongolia, even as capital gets more expensive, and intense competition fuels high prices in the critical minerals mergers and acquisitions space.

Mr Barton also acknowledged that Rio had not always lived up to expectations in Mongolia, where it is counting on Oyu Tolgoi to become the world’s fourth-largest copper mine by 2030. “We are committed to learning from that,” he told the Mongolia Economic Forum in Ulaanbaatar on Monday.

Column: China flexes critical metals muscles with export curbs – by Andy Home (Reuters – July 10, 2023)

July 10, 2023

https://www.reuters.com/

China’s threat to curb exports of gallium and germanium from the start of August marks an escalation in the global competition for critical minerals and metals. Both are esoteric metals with multiple applications across a spectrum of cutting-edge technologies, particularly silicon chips for the semiconductor sector.

As such, China’s move seems a calibrated response to the US Chips Act and the increasing pressure on US allies to restrict sales of sensitive microchip technology to the country. The announcement a day before the US Independence Day holidays was a symbolically-charged reminder that the West is highly dependent on China for many raw material inputs to its high-tech industrial base.

Chinese owner of Manitoba mine wants to drain lake to extract more cesium from one of world’s few deposits – Bartley Kives (CBC News Manitoba – July 6, 2023)

July 6, 2023

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/

The Chinese owner of the Tanco mine in eastern Manitoba has revived talk of partly draining a lake in order to extract more cesium from one of the world’s few deposits of the critical mineral.

Sinomine Resource Group is musing about a long-term redevelopment of its mine it purchased in 2019 along the shore of Bernic Lake, a small Canadian Shield body of water located between Whiteshell and Nopiming provincial parks. The goal is to reach cesium that can not be mined right now because it’s embedded in vertical columns that hold up the roof of the underground mine.

Beijing jabs in US-China tech fight with chip material export curbs – by Amy Lv and Brenda Goh (Reuters – July 4, 2023)

July 5, 2023

https://www.reuters.com/

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, July 4 (Reuters) – Companies caught out by China’s decision to restrict exports of two metals widely used in semiconductors and electric vehicles were racing to secure supplies on Tuesday as some industry suppliers worried that curbs on rare earth exports could follow.

Monday’s abrupt announcement of controls from Aug. 1 on exports of some gallium and germanium products has ramped up a trade war with the United States and could potentially cause more disruption to global supply chains.

Indonesia’s coal burning hits record high — and ‘green’ nickel is largely why – by Hans Nicholas Jong (Mongabay.com – July 3, 2023)

July 4, 2023

https://news.mongabay.com/

JAKARTA — Indonesia burned more coal in 2022 than any other year, a preliminary analysis shows, putting the country on track to become one of the largest carbon emitters from fossil fuel in the world.

Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources showed that coal consumption amounted to 745.72 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) in 2022, a 33% increase from 558.78 million BOE in 2021. The data shows the country’s coal consumption to be the highest ever by a very large margin.

Modi Gifts Jill Biden Lab-Grown Diamond Made In Surat – by Darshan Desai (Free Press Journal – June 22, 2023)

July 4, 2023July 4, 2023

https://www.freepressjournal.in/

Grown in Green Lab, the diamond was delicately cut and polished into a round shape specifically for the purpose of gifting.

Surat: The green lab-grown diamond gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, has been cut and polished in diamond hub Surat in Gujarat. The 7.5 carat diamond was grown at the renowned Green Lab in the city’s Ichhapore Gems and Jewellery Park.

Sources close to Mukesh Patel, the chairman of Green Lab, said he was elated that Modi picked a lab-grown diamond produced in his state-of-the-art facility that runs on green energy. Grown in Green Lab, the diamond was delicately cut and polished into a round shape specifically for the purpose of gifting it to Jill Biden. However, the sources refused to divulge the value of the diamond.

China jumps ahead in the rush to secure lithium from Africa – by Annie Lee (Bloomberg News – July 3, 2023)

July 4, 2023July 4, 2023

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

China’s early move to tap new centers of lithium supply across Africa is reaping rewards, helping the top electric-vehicle battery producer navigate a tight market for the key metal.

Spurred by a flurry of investment from Chinese companies, mines across the continent are forecast to increase production of lithium raw materials more than 30-fold from last year’s volume by 2027, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. Africa will account for 12% of global supply by then, compared with 1% in 2022.

Sapphire mines of Paddar: Scientific exploration of world’s finest sapphire likely to begin in June – by Ravi Krishnan Khajuria (Hindustan Times – May 11, 2023)

June 28, 2023

https://www.hindustantimes.com/

“On May 17, 2013, a 19.88 carat cushion-shaped sapphire from Paddar, called Starof Kashmir, had smashed all records after it was sold for $3,483,017 (nearly ₹20 crore)at an auction in Geneva.”

The mining department of Jammu and Kashmir has finalised a strategy for detailed and scientific exploration of world-famous sapphire from the mines of Paddar in Kishtwar district.Hitherto, the scientific exploration of the mines had not been possible for varied reasons.

On Tuesday, mining secretary Amit Sharma chaired a high-level meeting wherein a pointed strategy was finalised for conduct of detailed exploration study of the sapphire in Paddar area.

PM Modi’s Gift to First Lady Shines Spotlight on Surat’s Green Diamond Market – by Neha Choubey (Native Planet – June 23, 2023)

June 23, 2023

https://www.nativeplanet.com/

The world of gemstones has been revolutionized with a groundbreaking discovery in India. Scientists have successfully created a lab-grown green diamond, replicating the stunning beauty of nature’s gems. This remarkable achievement opens new doors in the world of jewelry and showcases the advancements in diamond synthesis technology.

The Rise of Lab-Grown Diamonds:

Over the past few years, there has been a surge in the popularity of lab-grown diamonds, primarily driven by their ethical and sustainable production methods. Recently, they made headlines when Prime Minister Modi presented a lab-grown diamond to First Lady Jill Biden.

How Vietnam Can Disrupt China’s Dominance in EVs – by Hugh Harsono (The Diplomat – June 19, 2023)

June 19, 2023

https://thediplomat.com/

There’s a long way to go, but the country has most of the ingredients it needs to be a significant player in global EV supply chains.

Vietnam has one of the fastest growing middle classes in Southeast Asia, with a recent McKinsey report estimating that more than 36 million people could join Vietnam’s consuming class by 2030.
This growing middle class, along with the associated increase in its consumption capabilities, is just one facet driving Vietnam’s strong economic expansion, with the country’s GDP forecast to increase from $327 billion in 2022 to $470 billion by 2025.

China’s Maxed-Out Aluminum Industry Eyes Future in Indonesia (Bloomberg News – June 19, 2023)

June 19, 2023

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — China’s aluminum producers are following in the footsteps of their nickel peers by setting up smelters in Indonesia.

After two decades of rapid growth, China’s aluminum sector is bumping up against a domestic capacity ceiling imposed by President Xi Jinping’s government. At the same time, Indonesia wants to do for aluminum something like what it’s done with its nickel: stop exporting raw ore and get foreign investors to build smelters.