The BRICS group wrapped up its two-day leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The summit’s final communique is a 16,000-word doorstop that covers numerous issues from economics to education.
The communique avoids any direct mention of the United States, and references to “unilateralism” and other coded criticism are also relatively scarce. Rather, the communique keeps the focus on the BRICS’ vision of the strengthening and reform of the global multilateral system ...
Category: Mining
Trump Courts West Africa to Challenge China’s Critical Minerals Dominance
By Frankie Taggart with Becca Milfeld and Lucie Peytermann in Dakar U.S. President Donald Trump hailed West Africa's rich natural resources as he hosted five of its leaders Wednesday for a White House summit aimed at fostering trade to counter the ...
China Threatens Myanmar Militias on Rare Earths
China has reportedly threatened to stop buying rare earth minerals from areas in Myanmar held by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) an ethnic militia battling Myanmar’s ruling military junta. The threat comes as KIA and junta forces have been fighting for control of the town of Bhamo, ...
Indonesia’s Over-Reliance on China is a Warning for Other Global South Countries
Indonesia thought it was building a future. Instead, it built someone else’s supply chain. Last month, China imposed a 20% anti-dumping tariff on stainless steel from Indonesia, accusing Jakarta of undercutting prices and threatening Chinese producers. The penalty will remain ...
Lithium Prices Are Crashing, But Some Producers Are Doubling Down. Why?
There is a puzzling shift unfolding in the global lithium market. Prices have collapsed by over 70% from their 2022 highs to around $12,000 per tonne, and yet, against all market logic, some Chinese lithium giants are not retreating. Instead, ...
Lessons for Europe From China’s Critical Minerals Strategy in Africa
While the U.S., India, and countries in the Persian Gulf are all moving quickly to establish new critical mineral supply chains, the European Union is struggling to follow suit, particularly in Africa. The EU currently lacks a cohesive policy framework that ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Analysts Doubt Congo’s Cobalt Export Restrictions Will Do Much to Boost Prices in the Long Term
The Democratic Republic of the Congo extended a four-month export ban on cobalt exports in a bid to further constrain supply and boost prices of the critical metal that's used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries. The government hopes that by keeping additional ...
China, U.S. Ink Rare Earth Deal; More Trade Pacts Coming
The United States and China have signed a long-awaited framework agreement aimed at restarting rare earth mineral shipments and easing trade tensions ahead of a critical July tariff deadline, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed this week. The deal, finalized ...
Bots Pushed Anti-China Narrative Ahead of Ghana Mining Ban
By Nicholas Roll Before Ghana banned foreigners from its gold trade earlier this year, an online bot campaign pushed anti-Chinese sentiment, blaming Chinese nationals for exploiting the country and stealing its resources. The west African ...
China’s Critical Minerals Lead Widens as Rivals Struggle to Keep Pace
Despite growing talk of securing alternative supply chains, China has entrenched itself as the world’s undisputed leader in critical minerals, widening a lead that few anticipated would stretch so far, so fast. From lithium to nickel to rare earths, China’s ...
Looking Beyond Mining in the Africa-China Relationship
Last week’s China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) in Changsha, Hunan province drew very little press attention, but it gave a glimpse of the growing centrality of agricultural trade to the Africa-China relationship. The event delivered 176 new project deals worth $11.39 billion. The number ...
Europe’s Lithium Quest Hampered by China and Lack of Cash
By Alvaro Villalobos Europe's ambition to be a world player in decarbonised transportation arguably depends on sourcing lithium abroad, especially in South America. Even the bloc's broader energy security and climate goals could depend on ...
India Desperately Seeks Rare Earth Imports From China Despite Anti-Beijing Rhetoric, Chinese Media Say
Chinese news platform Guancha.cn recently highlighted India’s contradictory stance on rare earth imports, citing multiple Indian media reports. The Economic Times revealed on June 10 that while Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urgently sought Chinese rare earths for India’s auto ...