Bismuth prices in Europe have surged to all-time highs as China’s export controls squeeze supplies of the mineral used in atomic research, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, according to traders and experts.
Prices of bismuth have jumped to $40 a lb on the European spot market, an all-time high, up from $6 per lb in late January, a more than six-fold rise. In the United States, bismuth prices are even higher – at $55 a lb compared with $6.5-$7 before China’s export curbs.
https://www.thesudburystar.com/
Magna Mining’s critical mineral transformation in the Sudbury Basin to create new wealth, jobs
From American President Donald Trump’s desire to take over Greenland and perhaps Canada, and his recent confrontation with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Premier Doug Ford’s determination to get Ring of Fire infrastructure built, the general public is now acutely aware of the strategic and geopolitical importance of critical minerals.
And yet, Canada’s largest critical mineral mining camp – the legendary Sudbury Basin, which has been in operation for slightly over 140 years and controlled by two of the world’s largest miners, Brazilian-based Vale and Swiss-owned Glencore – seems to have been largely ignored by the mainstream media.
Since both Vale and Glencore have historically controlled much of the land package in the region, few juniors have thrived.
https://www.thesudburystar.com/
Sudbury and Canada’s supply of critical minerals could be our trump card in trade war with the Americans, Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre says
Sir Winston Churchill purportedly once quipped that one never wants to see “a good crisis go to waste.” Fortunately then for Ontario and Canada, we’ve got a whopper. Under President Trump, the United States is upending decades of partnership with Canada and many other allied nations.
American support for Ukraine is now apparently subject to the fledgling democracy providing $500 billion worth of rare earth as a “back payment” for U.S. military support.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/
The European Union is imposing sanctions on Rwanda’s only gold refinery and its top mining executive for allegedly dealing in smuggled Congolese minerals, the latest sign of how the mining industry has become embroiled in one of Africa’s deadliest wars.
The EU is sanctioning the Gasabo Gold Refinery on accusations of illegally trading in trafficked gold from sites controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel militia in eastern Congo, where Rwanda has reportedly sent thousands of troops to support the rebels.
The country fully imports several critical minerals used in green technologies including lithium, cobalt and nickel.
As the world rushes to secure minerals critical for rapidly-expanding clean energy technologies, India is joining the fray to try to meet its ambitious green energy goals.
India said in January the government and state mining companies would spend 343 billion Indian rupee ($3.94 billion) to boost local production, recycling and imports of critical minerals in a bid to secure enough for its energy transition, in an initiative coined the “National Critical Mineral Mission”.
In the 21st century, the most valuable assets aren’t oil wells, factories, data centers, or even AI large language models. The industries of the future require critical minerals. As the world seeks to generate massive amounts of energy, the real money isn’t in mining lithium, nickel, or rare earths—it’s in controlling how they move, process, and scale.
A new industrial empire is being built, and just like John D. Rockefeller’s pipelines in the 19th century, the infrastructure behind critical minerals will be an incredible wealth generator. While most companies race to secure mineral deposits—be they in Greenland, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Uzbekistan—the smartest players see a different opportunity: controlling the entire supply chain.
The DRC appears to be angling for the US to deploy boots on the ground, in a bid to contain armed conflict.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is having “daily exchanges” with the United States government with the aim of securing a minerals-for-security deal, Congolese officials have told the media.
The move comes amid escalating violence in the East African country. The rebel M23 armed group has seized territory in areas rich in gold and coltan, an important mineral used in the manufacturing of electronic gadgets. At least 7,000 people have been killed since January, according to the DRC government. Thousands more have been displaced.
Barrick Gold has been hit with a C$114,750 (approximately $79,800) fine for its repeated, excessive discharge of toxic materials from the now-decommissioned Nickel Plate gold mine located 3 km away from Hedley, BC.
The decision follows an inspection by provincial inspectors who found that the former underground and open pit mine had been releasing mine waste containing high concentrations of cobalt into Hedley Creek, which flows into the Similkameen River. This occurred on 17 separate occasions between 2021 and 2023, the inspectors found.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/
It’s hard to imagine that a regional election involving 41,000 voters selecting 31 MPs would merit much international attention. But all eyes will be on Greenland on Tuesday when voters across the island elect a new parliament and grapple with the question of sovereignty.
Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, Greenland’s future has been thrown into question. Mr. Trump has demanded that the U.S. annex the ice-covered territory, which has been part of Denmark for centuries.
Tariffs and markets swings are pushing developing countries rich in critical minerals such as cobalt, copper, gold, and lithium, to tighten their grip on their resources more than ever before, a new analysis from risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft shows.
This trend, which has accelerated over the past five years, poses major challenges for mining companies and coincides with intensifying geopolitical competition for raw materials essential to global industries.
In recent weeks, you’ve likely heard a lot about rare-earth substances, thanks to President Trump’s stalled efforts to secure a minerals deal with Ukraine and his talk of annexing Greenland. These vital substances fuel the growing renewables and electric-vehicle industries. However, many experts warn that the shortage of another crucial metal, used in electronics, wiring and even plumbing could be just as concerning.
Copper may be even more crucial to the nation’s shift toward a greener, more efficient economy than rare elements like neodymium or praseodymium. While copper has been mined for thousands of years, the demand for it has surged in the past two decades, driving its price up nearly 75% since 2020.
Election throws up surprise result as independence from Denmark remains tough to define.
Greenland had a message for Donald Trump as islanders went to the polls this week: thanks, but no thanks.
The U.S. president’s repeated noises about acquiring the vast Arctic island — not ruling out military force or economic coercion — were rejected at the ballot box, as a party that denounced Trump’s ambitions came out on top.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/
The Ontario Mining Association says it’s not clear if minerals get a reprieve from U.S. tariffs
Ontario’s mining industry association says it’s unclear whether the latest 30-day reprieve on U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods will apply to the province’s minerals.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Canadian and Mexican goods that are “compliant” with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) would not face 25 per cent tariffs in his country until April 2. Priya Tandon, the president of the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), said the province’s mineral trade with the U.S. falls under a different agreement, which makes the situation more uncertain.
https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/
The surging demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is breathing new life into Ontario’s mining industry. Several critical strategic mineral mines will produce the minerals required to manufacture EV batteries and renewable energy storage for the North American market. The following are the top critical strategic minerals’ (CSM) mining projects in the development phase:
Canada Nickel: Crawford nickel sulphide project
Canada Nickel is a Toronto-based company that is advancing the next generation of net-zero carbon nickel-cobalt projects with plans to supply the critical mineral to Canada’s EV battery industry. The company’s Crawford nickel sulphide project is the second largest nickel resource and reserve globally, with 3.8 million tonnes of proven and probable nickel contained.
Ukraine’s minerals have become central to global geopolitics, with the US president, Donald Trump, seeking a deal with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky to access them. But what are these minerals exactly and why are they so sought after? Ukraine is often recognised for its vast agricultural lands and industrial heritage, but beneath its surface lies one of the world’s most remarkable geological formations, the “Ukrainian Shield”.
This massive, exposed crystalline rock formed over 2.5 billion years ago, stretches across much of Ukraine. It represents one of Earth’s oldest and most stable continental blocks. The formation has undergone multiple episodes of mountain building, the formation and movement of magma and other change throughout time.
