A heated competition for copper among some of the biggest commodity traders is creating opportunities for miners to negotiate favorable terms ranging from huge upfront payments to extra-long contracts. Recent moves by cash-flush energy traders including Mercuria Energy Group Ltd. to expand in metals — a market long dominated by Glencore Plc and Trafigura Group […]
Battery Metals
Palladium not written off the road yet, miners say
The price of palladium may gain in the short term if constraints on recycling tighten and car buyers remain wary of electric vehicles (EVs) because of high interest rates, the World Platinum Investment Council says. The supply of the metal, which is used in catalytic converters for pollution control on internal combustion engine (ICE) autos, […]
South Korean, African leaders pledge deeper ties, critical mineral development
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and the leaders of African countries agreed on Tuesday to forge deeper trade and business cooperation and launched a “critical minerals dialogue” aimed at sustainable development of the continent’s resources. Hosting a first-ever summit with the leaders of 48 African nations, Yoon said South Korea would increase development aid […]
New technocrat Mexican leader unlikely pro-mining even as she replaces ‘whim and bombast’
Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist, won Mexico’s election to become the country’s first female leader and is expected to continue the anti-mining policies of outgoing President Andres Manuel López Obrador. Sheinbaum secured the most ballots on Sunday in the nation’s 200-year democratic history, as much as 61% of the vote, according to a sample count […]
Argentine Chamber of Mining Companies rejects possible royalty hike
The Argentine Chamber of Mining Companies (CAEM) issued a communiqué rejecting a possible 5% increase in mining royalties, a proposal presented by Senator Antonio Carambia from the southern Santa Cruz province. According to both the Chamber and local media, the government is working to secure a favourable vote for the proposal in Congress. This – […]
Deep-sea nickel hits battery grade for The Metals Co.
Nickel that The Metals Company mined from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean can be used in electric vehicle batteries, Geneva-based verification and inspection firm SGS says. An SGS lab in Ontario produced high-purity nickel sulphate from polymetallic nodules, suitable for the battery chemicals market, the tester said this week. The nickel sulphate was generated […]
Giant lithium partnership created in Chile
Chile’s state-owned copper giant Codelco signed a deal Friday with SQM to nearly double the private mining firm’s current extraction of lithium, a key mineral for the global switch to cleaner energy. Codelco is the world’s largest copper producer, and SQM is a leader in lithium, often called “white gold.” The agreement provides for the […]
Copper price: the squeeze has been squoze
After hitting an all-time intraday level of a smidgen under $5.20 a pound or $11,460 a tonne in Chicago a week ago, July copper has pulled back to exchange hands for $4.85 ($10,690) on Tuesday, paring some of last week’s steep losses. Copper trading enjoyed blow-out volumes on the way up with the paper equivalent […]
EU, Australia sign critical minerals pact to diversify supply chains
Australia and the European Union have struck an agreement to boost cooperation and investment in critical minerals, part of a drive by Western nations to loosen China’s grip on supply chains of materials essential to high-tech and green manufacturing. Ministers in Canberra and Brussels signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday, which will be followed […]
EV battery maker announces its latest cell technology is world’s first to achieve 2,000 consecutive extreme fast charging cycles: ‘Milestone achievement’
Middle Eastern battery maker StoreDot has hit a performance milestone with a power pack that reached 2,000 consecutive cycles. It’s part of a development progression for electric vehicle range and charge performance that could be game-changing for the industry if the benchmarks are met within the next 10 years. In the latest news, the silicon-dominant battery was repeatedly charged […]
