With U.S.-South Africa ties in the deep freeze, it was notable to see the sheer size of the U.S. delegation sent to this week’s Mining Indaba in Cape Town – one of the most prominent industry gatherings and one of the few where the Global South gets a prominent voice.
The Trump administration’s famous Afrophobia seems (momentarily at least) tempered by its greed for minerals. It is reportedly walking ...
Category: Copper
China, Mexico Hold First Talks Since Mexico Imposed Steep Tariffs on Chinese Imports
China's chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang met Mexico's Deputy Economy Minister Vidal Llerenas in Beijing on Monday in the first face-to-face talks since Mexico imposed tariffs up to 35% on Chinese goods, China's Commerce Ministry announced Thursday. The two countries conducted exchanges on bilateral economic and trade relations. ...
Oil-Rich Angola Makes First Major Copper Exports
By Brian Benza Angola's first major copper mine shipped its first concentrates in January, an official said on Tuesday, the first such exports of the clean energy metal as the oil-rich African country diversifies its mineral resources income. ...
U.S. to Buy 100,000 Tonnes of Congolese Copper Sourced From a Chinese-Run Mine
The United States is going to source 100,000 tonnes of copper from the state-owned mining company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gécamines, ostensibly to help the U.S. diversify its sourcing of the red metal beyond China-controlled supply chains. What's ...
Mexico Approves Measure Raising Tariffs on Chinese Imports
Mexican lawmakers on Wednesday backed a measure to raise tariffs on goods from China and other countries that do not have trade agreements with Mexico, despite strong pushback from Beijing. The move, spearheaded by President Claudia Sheinbaum and approved by the ...
Copper’s Bull Run Faces Reckoning as China Weighs Production Caps
There's been a dramatic turnaround in the price of copper on the Shanghai Futures Exchange, with the red metal suffering its largest one-day loss in three weeks on Tuesday. What's unusual here is that just last week, prices of the red ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Flurry of China-Global South Diplomacy
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Ghanaian counterpart, John Dramani Mahama, on Tuesday, 14 October. It was one of several meetings on the sidelines of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women earlier this week, where Xi called for greater gender equity in global governance.
Trump Says U.S. ‘Wants to Help China, Not Hurt It’
President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States wants to help China, not hurt it, striking a conciliatory tone days after threatening an additional 100 percent tariff on the world's second-largest economy. Trump's statements on Friday as well as his threat ...
China Warns Mexico Over Escalating Trade Fight as Tariff, Anti-Dumping Actions Mount
The Chinese government warned Mexico that it would “take all necessary measures” to protect its interests in a rapidly escalating trade dispute between the two countries. China's powerful Ministry of Commerce issued a blunt statement on Friday that condemned Mexico's decision ...
Chinese Copper Miner and Processor Faces Multiple Environmental Lawsuits From Zambian Communities
Lawyers representing communities and civil society groups in Zambia have opened settlement talks with a Chinese-owned copper mining and processing company, over one of the country’s worst toxic spills, raising the possibility of an out-of-court resolution in multiple cases that could reshape corporate accountability in Africa.
Critical Minerals Weekly Digest: Global Supply Chains Reshaped by Tariffs, Bilateral Deals, and Strategic R&D
This is a free preview of the upcoming Critical Minerals Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. Global critical mineral markets this week reflected the mounting intersection of geopolitics, industrial policy, and resource nationalism. China ...
BHP Books Rise in Profit on Back of Chinese Copper Demand
Australian mining giant BHP on Tuesday reported a bump in yearly profits, as China's appetite for copper helped to counter slumping prices for iron ore and coal. Chief executive Mike Henry trumpeted a strong year "marked by record production", with annual ...
China’s Copper Smelting Boom Backfires Amid Global Supply Strains
Over the past decade, China positioned itself as a leader in copper refining, accounting for more than half of global capacity. Its strategy designed to secure control over key critical minerals meant to power everything from clean energy grids to electric vehicles, defense equipment, and construction ...