Cobalt, Critical, Strategic and Rare Earth Minerals and Metals – Page 5

In Ukraine, a potential arms-for-minerals deal inspires hope and skepticism – by Samya Kullab and Hanna Arhirova (Associated Press – February 16, 2025)

February 18, 2025

KIROVOHRAD REGION, Ukraine (AP) — The mineral ilmenite is extracted from mounds of sand deep in the earth and refined using a method that summons the force of gravity, resulting in a substance that glimmers like a moonlit sky.

Ukraine boasts vast reserves of ilmenite — a key element used to produce titanium — in the heavy mineral sands that stretch for miles along the country’s embattled east. Much of it, as with all of Ukraine’s critical minerals industry, is underdeveloped because of war as well as onerous state policies.

Are critical minerals trump card in US-China chip showdown? – by Francesca Price (S&P Global – February 13, 2025)

February 14, 2025

https://www.spglobal.com/

On Dec. 3, 2024, China’s Ministry of Commerce implemented export bans on key semiconductor materials, including gallium and germanium, to the US. While these minerals had already been subject to existing export restrictions introduced in July 2023, this is the first time China has specifically targeted the US.

To date, US legislation has focused on strengthening the downstream part of the semiconductor supply chain, leaving US technologies vulnerable to upstream supply chain disruption.US-China tensions centered on semiconductors and critical minerals are apt to continue rising as each government deploys the levers at its disposal, including restrictions on the upstream supply of materials key to the chip sector.

[Critical Minerals] Ukraine’s Best Hope for Creating Lasting Security – by Oleksandr Kubrakov (Time Magazine – February 13, 2025)

February 14, 2025

https://time.com/

U.S. access to Ukraine’s vast and largely untapped rare earths and other critical minerals in exchange for a “security shield” is the latest twist in the potential peace plan for the war in Ukraine. And it is picking up steam with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv and President Donald Trump stunning Europe by revealing he has already begun talks with Vladimir Putin.

But while U.S. investment in this underdeveloped sector would be an important positive development for both Ukraine’s economy and immediate security, it’s only one element in an absent economic strategy that Ukraine needs to create a lasting security guarantee from future Russian aggression.

Congo-Kinshasa: Why Conflict Mineral Narratives Don’t Explain the M23 Rebellion in DR Congo – by Judith Verweijen and Christoph Vogel (All Africa – February 2025)

February 13, 2025

https://allafrica.com/

Utrecht and Dakar — “Most reporting on the conflict is using questionable framings, suggesting it is purely driven by a desire to plunder the region’s rich mineral resources.” The capture of North Kivu’s provincial capital, Goma, by the M23 armed group last month has multiplied international coverage of the forgotten crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Yet most reporting on the conflict is using mistaken framings, suggesting it is purely driven by a desire to plunder the region’s rich mineral resources.

The conflict minerals narrative contains several tropes: Proponents claim that the M23 and its Rwandan allies launched the insurgency to loot large quantities of minerals from neighbouring DRC; that Western electronics or tech corporations buy violently exploited minerals and thus become complicit in the conflict; and that the war is driven by competition for so-called critical minerals required by the energy transition.

Mining industry warns critical minerals stockpiles useless without processing plants – by Darius Snieckus (National Observer – February 13, 2025)

February 13, 2025

https://www.nationalobserver.com/

Government-backed strategic reserves of lithium, nickel, copper and other minerals and metals seen as key to Canada’s national security and its energy transition would be a non-starter without a cross-country network of processing facilities, mining sector executives said Tuesday.

Calls for an emergency stockpile of 34 critical minerals in Canada have grown in recent weeks as a way to reduce investment risk for mine developers and leverage against U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to annex the country for its wealth of natural resources.

Uranium ban repeal in Greenland could revive massive rare earth project, licence holder says – by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen (Reuters – February 11, 2025)

February 13, 2025

https://www.reuters.com/

NUUK, Greenland – The mining company that owns the licence to Greenland’s Kvanefjeld deposit is hopeful that a new government will repeal a ban on uranium mining after next month’s election, potentially rejuvenating one of the world’s largest rare earth projects.

U.S President Donald Trump last month voiced renewed interest in acquiring the strategically important Arctic island. In response to Trump’s comments, CEO Daniel Mamadou of Kvanefjeld licence holder Energy Transition Minerals said: “I think it certainly puts everything related to minerals back on the map.”

B.C.-made critical mineral could be used as a ‘reactive weapon’ in trade war – by Stefan Labbé (Business In Vancouver – February 7, 2025)

February 10, 2025

https://www.biv.com/

Most Canadians oppose U.S. companies taking greater control over the country’s natural resource projects — a level of defiance found to be strongest in British Columbia, according to a new poll.

Holding back a critical mineral processed in B.C. and critical to high-tech industries could be used as an “reactive weapon” in a trade war with the United States.

That’s according to John Steen, director of the University of British Columbia’s Bradshaw Research Initiative in Minerals and Mining, who pointed to the province’s production of germanium. The critical mineral is increasingly used in electronics and solar technology, fibre optics, and infrared optics used regularly by militaries to see at night.

Ukraine reels in Trump with mineral riches – by Zoya Sheftalovich, Veronika Melkozerova and Jamie Dettmer (Politico Europe – February 4, 2025)

February 10, 2025

https://www.politico.eu/

The U.S. president’s relentless pursuit of raw materials is storing up trouble for Greenland, but could well be good news for Ukraine.

After years of arguing its democracy is worth fighting for, Ukraine quickly calculated Donald Trump was likelier to think the country is worth saving because of its abundant mineral wealth.

To win over a United States president who wants to claim Greenland for its vast reserves of raw materials and strategic position in the Arctic, Kyiv has for months been stressing that its rich deposits of everything from titanium to graphite could help Trump beat China in the global race for resources.

Australia close to breaking China’s critical mineral stranglehold – by Simon Johanson (Sydney Morning Post – February 9, 2025)

February 10, 2025

https://www.smh.com.au/

Australian firms are edging closer to breaking China’s production stranglehold on the rare minerals used in the world’s critical defence systems, electric vehicles and clean energy transition.

Companies like Iluka Resources, Lynas Rare Earths, and several lithium miners are already refining, or close to producing, the minerals needed for the batteries, electric circuitry and high-strength magnets that underpin the globe’s green energy transition.

As Trump eyes Canada’s resources, Ottawa scrambles to form critical mineral plan B – by John Woodside and Darius Snieckus (National Observer – February 10, 2025)

February 10, 2025

https://www.nationalobserver.com/

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to turn Canada into the 51st state was real, fresh annexation concerns were sparked. However, not everyone is in a total panic.

“Trudeau is not a fool. He’s been at this for a long time, and he’s not going to make a statement even in this context that he doesn’t think is going to get out to the media and public,” said Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. “This was not an ‘Oops I got caught moment,’ this was a statement he was prepared to make.”

Trudeau’s comments that Trump wants critical minerals highlights U.S. reliance on Canadian resources – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – February 8, 2025)

February 10, 2025

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s assertion that U.S. President Donald Trump wants to take over Canada to gain access to its critical-minerals riches underlines how much the U.S. depends on this country for its immense resource needs.

Mr. Trudeau made the comments about Mr. Trump’s motivations for annexing Canada on Friday to hundreds of business executives, trade experts and union representatives who gathered in Toronto to try to figure out how to boost growth and attract new investment in the face of continuing tariff threats on Canadian imports.

Trudeau suggests Trump’s serious about making Canada ’51st state’ to secure minerals – by Tom Blackwell (National Post – February 8, 2025)

February 10, 2025

https://nationalpost.com/

‘Canada is sovereign, Canada will choose its own destiny, thank you very much,’ one minister said

TORONTO — Federal cabinet members stressed Friday there will be “no messing” with the Canada-U.S. border, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that President Donald Trump is serious about making this country the 51st state to secure Canada’s critical mineral reserves.

Transport Minister Anita Anand and Employment Steve MacKinnon said the overwhelming mood in the country is to stand firm on Canada’s independence, regardless of pressure from Trump’s threatened 25-per-cent tariffs.

Donald Trump wants to annex Canada to gain access to its critical minerals, Trudeau says – by Steven Chase and Laura Stone (Globe and Mail – February 7, 2025)

February 7, 2025

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told an economic summit on Friday that he believes U.S. President Donald Trump is sincere in his desire to annex Canada and that this stems from the American leader’s interest in gaining access to this country’s critical minerals, a source said.

Mr. Trudeau made the comments to an audience of about 200 business leaders, trade experts and union executives in Toronto who have gathered to map out ways to boost economic growth and attract new capital investment in the face of the looming threat of U.S. protectionism.

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

February 7, 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.

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

February 7, 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.