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A new cold war is brewing over rare earth minerals – by Abigail Bassett (The Verge – May 15, 2025)

https://www.theverge.com/

China has implemented new export controls for rare earth minerals and magnets. The changes could upend the shift to electric vehicles.

The future of everything from smartphones, to military equipment, to electric vehicles hangs on 17 rare earth minerals and the magnets that they’re made into. And China, the world’s largest refiner and producer, is tightening its grip and threatening the US’ largest automakers.

Over the last 30 years, China has methodically cornered the market on mining and refining rare earth minerals, which are used to produce a variety of common items like passenger vehicles and everyday electronics. In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s increasingly aggressive trade war, China is leveraging its position as the world’s largest producer, at the expense of the American auto industry.

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Lecce touts Ontario’s mining strategy as key to energy security and economic self-reliance – by Barbara Patrocinio (QP Briefing – May 16, 2025)

https://www.qpbriefing.com/

“Our job is to be bold,” Lecce said. “We’re not just exporting minerals. We’re exporting a model for how a modern, secure, and sovereign economy can look in the 21st century.”

In an interview marking mining week, Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce says Ontario is poised to become a global “clean energy superpower,” and he’s betting big on critical minerals, faster permitting timelines, and more domestic processing to get there.

Lecce outlined his vision for the province’s resource sector, which he described as essential not only to creating tens of thousands of jobs, but also to defending Canada’s economic sovereignty.

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Cameco CEO says Carney supportive of nuclear energy industry as uranium demand grows – by Michael Joel-Hansen (Financial Post – May 16, 2025)

https://financialpost.com/

Speedy development of resource projects could be crucial for Canada’s uranium industry

The chief executive of the world’s largest uranium miner believes Prime Minister Mark Carney will be supportive of Canada’s nuclear industry as it looks ahead to meet growing demand. Saskatoon-based Cameco Corp. chief executive Tim Gitzel said the federal government needs to be interested in growing nuclear energy and hopes that will happen under Carney’s leadership, based on past dealings with the prime minister.

Carney and Gitzel met previously amid a joint deal between Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. to buy Westinghouse Electric Co. in 2023. At the time, Carney was chair and head of Transition Investing at Brookfield.

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B.C. mining sector calls for streamlined permitting – by Adam Campbell (Business In Vancouver – May 15, 2025)

https://www.biv.com/

MABC projects $90B in short-term economic activity from mines under construction

B.C. must accelerate mining permitting to remain competitive and retain investment amid a tense political landscape. That was one of the key messages Michael Goehring delivered at the Mining Association of BC’s (MABC) annual Greater Vancouver Board of Trade address last week.

The CEO of MABC said he was pleased to see the creation of the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals last November, and the introduction of legislation earlier this month aimed at speeding up approvals for major projects. These are important steps, he said, and perhaps indications that the current government is choosing to focus more on economic growth.

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Tungsten prices hit 12-year high as China tightens export controls – by Staff (Mining.com – May 15, 2025)

https://www.mining.com/

European tungsten prices have surged to their highest level since 2013, driven by China’s tightening grip on critical mineral exports.

The price of ammonium paratungstate (APT)—a key intermediate used in tungsten metal production—has climbed to $400 per metric ton unit (mtu) on the European spot market, marking an 18% jump since February, according to Reuters.

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Uranium added to Nova Scotia critical minerals list as province seeks exploration – by Keith Doucette (Canadian Press/CBC Nova Scotia – May 14, 2025)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/

Potential exploration sites are in Pictou County, Annapolis County and Hants County

The Nova Scotia government added uranium to its list of priority critical minerals on Wednesday and issued a request for exploration proposals at three sites the province says have known deposits of the heavy metal.

Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton says the government hopes to reap economic benefits from the exploration in the future, although a department official said any potential mining project could be “decades” away.

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Ice roads are a lifeline for First Nations. As Canada warms, they’re disappearing. (Grist.org – May 15, 2025)

https://grist.org/

Indigenous peoples are navigating the slow collapse of winter roads — and an even slower pace of help.

It was the last night of February and a 4×4 truck vaulted down the 103-mile winter road to Cat Lake First Nation in northern Ontario, a road made entirely of ice and snow. Only the light of the stars and the red and white truck lights illuminated the dense, snow-dusted spruce trees on either side of the road. From the passenger seat, Rachel Wesley, a member of the Ojibway community and its economic development officer, told the driver to stop.

The truck halted on a snow bridge over a wide creek — 1 of 5 made of snow along this road. It was wide enough for only one truck to cross at a time; its snowy surface barely 2 feet above the creek. Wesley zipped up her thick jacket and jumped out into the frigid night air. She looked at the creek and pointed at its open, flowing water. “That’s not normal,” she said, placing a cigarette between her lips.

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Guinea repossess 51 mining licences, information minister says – by Maxwell Akalaare Adombila(Reuters – May 16, 2025)

https://www.reuters.com/

Guinea’s military government has taken back 51 mining licences as it steps up efforts to repossess claims or concessions where operations have either not been launched or where it says permits are being underutilised, its information minister said.

Reuters first reported that the government planned to cancel the licences on Thursday. Fana Soumah announced in a televised address late Thursday night that Guinea’s military ruler Mamady Doumbouya had signed the repossession decree, which covers bauxite, gold, diamond, graphite and iron concessions.

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Canada could unlock C$1.1tr GDP boost by fast-tracking resource projects, think-tank says – by Staff (Mining Weekly – May 16, 2025)

https://www.miningweekly.com/

Canada could add as much as C$1.1-trillion to its economy by 2035 if it accelerates investment decisions on more than 500 energy, mining and infrastructure projects, according to a new report by the Public Policy Forum.

The ‘Build Big Things’ report, released on Thursday, offers a policy playbook aimed at boosting Canada’s sluggish productivity and countering global competition in critical minerals and energy. It calls for regulatory reform, streamlined permitting, expanded Indigenous participation and a national strategy to accelerate project approvals.

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Could thorium be the world’s next great source of fuel? – by Naimul Karim (Financial Post – May 16, 2025)

https://financialpost.com/

“Rabbits sometimes make mistakes or grow lazy. That’s when the tortoise seizes its chance.” That’s how a scientist from China recently described the Asian giant’s progress in using thorium — a silvery-white radioactive metal that’s more abundant in the earth’s crust than uranium — to generate power.

Xu Hongjie reportedly used the folklore saying in a closed-door meeting at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in April to suggest China had overtaken the United States in this specific field, according to the South China Morning Post. But could thorium really be used as a viable source for fuel in the near future or even replace uranium in nuclear reactors? Here’s what you need to know.

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China retains rare earth export controls as bargaining chip amid trade war truce with US – by Joyce ZK Lim (Asia News Network – May 16, 2025)

 Asia News Network – Bringing Asia Closer

SHENZHEN – Even as China and the US roll back tariffs and other trade salvos amid a 90-day truce, there is one powerful source of leverage that Beijing appears to be retaining: the control of its exports of critical minerals, including rare earths.

China’s Commerce Ministry said on May 12, the same day that details of the US-China agreement were announced, that strengthening export controls of strategic mineral resources was crucial to national security.

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Utah leaders praise Trump’s fast-tracking of a ‘vital’ uranium mine. Environmentalists say the move ‘beggars belief.’ – by Anastasia Hufham (Salt Lake Tribune – May 16, 2025)

https://www.sltrib.com/

State leaders have nothing but praise for the Trump administration’s decision to significantly shorten the environmental review process of a southeastern Utah uranium project.

Earlier this week, the Department of the Interior announced it was fast-tracking the permitting process for Anfield Energy Inc.’s plans to reopen the Velvet-Wood uranium mine in San Juan County. The environmental assessment for the project must be completed by the Bureau of Land Management in just 14 days — as opposed to the prior timeline of months or years.

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OPINION: Too long has the Toronto Stock Exchange been shrunken and battered. No more – by Bryce C. Tingle (Globe and Mail – May 15, 2025)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Bryce C. Tingle is the N. Murray Edwards Chair in Business Law at the University of Calgary’s faculty of law. His book Hard Lessons in Corporate Governance was shortlisted for the Donner Prize.

Canada has been shaken out of its complacency by the actions of the Trump administration over the past 100 days. As this country considers how it can compete against a suddenly antagonistic southern neighbour, some consideration should be given to the woeful state of our public markets.

The Toronto Stock Exchange, long the crown jewel of Canada’s financial system, has shrunk almost by half in terms of the number of operating companies it supports. Most of the missing companies have gone to the U.S. In the terminology we generally use for businesses, the TSX is being badly outcompeted by the U.S.

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Northern Ontario First Nations fear uphill battle to preserve rights as Bill 5 speeds through legislature – by Aya Dufour (CBC News Sudbury – May 16, 2025)

https://www.cbc.ca/

Ford government says it’s cutting ‘red tape’ to speed up resource development projects

Bill 5 is a broad piece of legislation that has implications for mining development, endangered species, archeology and Indigenous peoples. It’s part of the Ford government’s “plan to protect Ontario” by cutting “the red tape that has held back major infrastructure, mining and resource development projects.”

The bill was tabled a few weeks ago and is now slated to be examined by a standing committee at Queen’s Park, whom Friends of the Attawapiskat river founder Michel Koostachin is set to address in the coming weeks. “There’s not going to be any consultations whatsoever with this bill,” said Koostachin.

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Turbulence in global titanium supply (The Oregon Group – May 14, 2025)

https://theoregongroup.substack.com/

Titanium market faces supply disruptions and regional deficits

Titanium, prized for its strength and versatility, is essential across advanced defense, aerospace, automotive, medical, and industrial sectors. From everyday pigments to jet engines, the titanium dioxide (TiO₂) market was valued at US$24 billion in 2024, with a projected CAGR of 3.7% from 2023-2030. The US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan all classify titanium as a critical mineral.

The titanium market now faces supply disruptions and regional deficits as geopolitical challenges and rising defense industry demands increase pressure. Growth in Chinese dominance of global pigment markets has also driven supply deficits of high value titanium dioxide minerals such as rutile. The largest global producers of titanium metal and pigments are feeling the strain—creating a clear market opportunity for new entrants and strategic investments in new long-term sources of titanium feedstocks.

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