Related Posts

New Half-Billion Dollar Deal Aims to Position Angola’s Lobito Corridor as Main Gateway for Africa’s Critical Resources

The competition for access to critical metals used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries intensified with the announcement that Trafigura, a Singaporean-based commodity trading giant, is going to lead a consortium of European companies to rebuild a rail line poised to become one of Africa's most important logistics corridors. ...

South Africa’s Crumbling Railways Are Becoming a Threat to Global Supply Chains

Traffic on South Africa's main railway line that connects the country's urban hubs of Johannesburg and Pretoria with Africa's largest port in Durban operated at just 25% capacity last week -- hobbled by rampant theft, vandalism and damage. The 688-kilometer rail ...

Massive Supply Chain Disruptions Expected on Key China-Africa Trade Route Due to South African Labor Unrest

Key strategic resources exported via South African ports to China are expected to face severe disruptions in the coming days and weeks in response to the declaration of force majeure by SA's state-run logistics operator Transet in response to the escalating labor strife with its ...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Heavy Rains Are Once Again Pounding South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province

Heavy rains are once again pounding South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, no doubt causing serious concern among mining companies in neighboring Zambia and DRCongo who rely heavily on the KZN's Port of Durban to export copper and cobalt, mostly to China. Massive floods last month forced the port to ...

DRC Cobalt Shipments to China Resume Via the Port of Durban

Cargo vessels loaded with Congolese cobalt are once again making their way to China now that port operations in Durban are beginning to recover. The port was shut for weeks after severe floods last month blocked the roads and railways that transport the tons of raw materials that depart from southern ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Looking Beyond “Useful Africa” at the Mining Indaba

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 ...

COVID Lockdowns Scrambling Strategic Metals Sector

Disruptions caused by COVID-19 lockdowns in China, the Ukraine war and the ongoing crisis at the South African port of Durban are roiling the strategic battery sector, used for e-vehicles. While prices are falling in the short term due to pandemic restrictions, stocks for battery companies show that in the ...

Chinese Trade With Africa Surged in First Quarter But Expected to Slow Dramatically

Chinese trade with Africa rocketed up 24.5% in the first three months of 2022 compared to the same time last year, according to the new data released by China's customs authorities. At a continental level, trade levels were characteristically balanced with Chinese ...

Chinese Cobalt Stakeholders Weigh In on Durban Chaos

The impact of the floods that disrupted operations at South Africa’s Durban harbor is being felt throughout the cobalt supply chain. The Swiss cobalt miner Glencore reacted by declaring force majeure, but so far little has been heard from the Chinese companies that dominate both cobalt mining in ...

With Access to South Africa’s Main Port Still Hampered, The Rush Is on To Build Alternate Trade Routes for DRC Resources

With road and rail access to South Africa's main port in Durban still blocked by the damage from the past week of record floods, there's a new urgency to develop alternate trade routes for the vast quantities of natural resources that flow from the mining belts in the southern DRC ...

Glencore Calls Force Majeure on Cobalt Exports as Durban Flooding Worsens Chinese Shipping Crisis

Glencore, the world’s largest cobalt producer, announced that it can’t fulfill its delivery commitments for cobalt hydroxide out of the Democratic Republic of Congo, due to severe flooding in the South African port city of Durban. The majority of cobalt exports from the DRC depart the continent via Durban. ...

Durban Port is Now Functional After Flooding Shutdown

South Africa’s key port of Durban is functional again after operations were disrupted by deadly flooding last week. The port now has to deal with a backlog of between 8,000 and 9,000 shipping containers. South Africa’s Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan told reporters the pileup should be cleared in five ...

Lockdowns, Floods in South Africa and China Prompt Massive Disruptions to One of the World’s Most Important Trade Routes

Simultaneous disruptions to the largest ports in China and South Africa are threatening to upend one of the world's most important trade routes. The ongoing lockdowns in Shanghai as part of the city's battle against Omicron have led to a major slowdown ...
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