Tag

Rare Earths

All articles tagged with #rare earths

politics19 days ago•34 min saved

Army Bases Turn Into Domestic Mineral Hubs

The US Army will allow several companies—REalloys Inc., Titan Mining Corp., ioneer Ltd., and Energy Exploration Technologies Inc.—to build critical minerals processing plants at U.S. military bases, including locations like Toole Army Depot (UT), Pine Bluff Arsenal (AR), and Anniston Army Depot (AL). The initiative aims to boost domestic production of rare earths, graphite, lithium, and boron and reduce reliance on imports (notably from China), strengthening the defense-industrial base.

via Bloomberg|

#critical-minerals #domestic-production #military

world20 days ago•4 min saved

China detains two Japanese nationals in rare-earth smuggling probe amid Japan dispute

Two Japanese employees of a major industrial company were detained in Dalian, China, in May for allegedly attempting to smuggle rare earth minerals, signaling a new escalation in the China–Japan dispute as Beijing tightens controls on critical minerals and Japan vows to protect its nationals overseas.

via Financial Times|

#arrests #china-japan-relations #critical-minerals

world21 days ago•7 min saved

US backs Congo cobalt-copper mines to counter China's rare-earth edge

The U.S. backs Virtus Minerals to develop Chemaf’s Étoile and Mutoshi cobalt and copper mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—the first U.S.-owned operator there in over a decade—aiming for about 75,000 tonnes of copper and 20,000 tonnes of cobalt a year, exported via the Lobito Corridor to Angola with a $5 billion rail investment; officials call it a flagship investment to diversify critical mineral supply chains and counter China’s dominance in Africa.

via Fox News|

#cobalt #copper #drc

business22 days ago•12 min saved

China tightens rare-earth leverage by targeting MP Materials and USA Rare Earth

China added MP Materials and USA Rare Earth to its export-control list, barring dual-use goods to the two firms as part of a broader retaliation-and-leverage move while the U.S. expands sanctions on Chinese firms tied to the military. Rare earths power magnets critical for EVs and defense, and China processes most of the world’s supply, giving Beijing significant sway. MP Materials, backed by Apple and the Pentagon, had already cut shipments to China, and Bloomberg described Monday’s curbs as largely symbolic, with tighter export rules anticipated in November. Investors largely shrugged as the market reaction was muted.

via Yahoo Finance|

#business #export-controls #mp-materials

business22 days ago•6 min saved

Beijing Tightens Grip on U.S. Rare-Earths, Foreshadowing Trade Clash

China’s Ministry of Commerce barred Chinese suppliers from shipping certain rare-earth metals to two U.S. firms, MP Materials and USA Rare Earth, targeting America’s effort to rebuild a domestic magnet supply chain. Given China’s dominance of light and heavy rare earths, the move raises the risk of a broader trade clash as Washington continues to invest in domestic production and the global supply chain, against a backdrop of prior export controls and IP disputes.

via The New York Times|

#business #export-controls #mp-materials

world24 days ago•81 min saved

Pope Leo XIV Converses on Rare-Earth Mining as Vatican Signals Divestment

A senior banker pressed Pope Leo XIV to consider rare-earth mining as a path to development, recounting a private audience with mining executives; weeks later, the Vatican launched a divestment push and urged dialogue with Indigenous communities about extraction, underscoring the tension between mineral wealth and environmental and social costs as Leo prepares a Peru visit.

via AP News|

#mining #peru #pope

business26 days ago•12 min saved

Energy Fuels Secures Conditional Financing to Expand U.S. Rare Earths and Critical Materials Capacity

Energy Fuels announced a conditional commitment for up to $725 million of senior-secured debt from the U.S. Office of Strategic Capital to fund the expansion of its U.S. rare earths and critical materials processing at the White Mesa Mill in Utah and to develop a U.S.-based rare earth metals and alloys facility; the 20-year tenor financing is contingent on due diligence, definitive documentation, closing conditions, and approvals, and could also support a planned Australian Strategic Materials acquisition. Proceeds would advance project development, processing capacity, supply-chain integration, and working capital to strengthen the domestic critical materials supply chain.

via Energy Fuels|

#business #critical-minerals #financing

defense26 days ago•4 min saved

Pentagon backs $1.2B rare-earth loans to shore up magnet supply chain

The Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital announced two conditional loans totaling $1.2 billion to Energy Fuels and Phoenix Tailings to shore up a US-based rare-earth supply chain: $725 million to Energy Fuels to build a rare-earth separation and metallization facility (using the White Mesa Mill in Utah) with a 20-year repayment window, and $500 million to Phoenix Tailings to open a 'Freedom Facility' by 2028 to process light and heavy rare earths, advancing a mine-to-magnet supply chain; the move is part of a broader effort to secure domestic materials for future weapons, though lawmakers have raised concerns about legal bases and terms of related deals with MP Materials.

via Breaking Defense|

#defense #defense-policy #energy-fuels

world1 month ago•2 min saved

Trump-Xi Pact Expands U.S.-China Economic Ties with Boeing, Farms, and Boards

In a historic visit, President Trump and President Xi agreed to a constructive, reciprocal U.S.–China relationship, created two boards to manage trade and investment, and secured commitments including China purchasing Boeing aircraft, boosting U.S. farm exports (billions annually through 2028), restoring beef market access, resuming poultry imports, and cooperating on rare earths and other critical minerals.

via The White House (.gov)|

#aerospace-manufacturing #agriculture-exports #rare-earths

world2 months ago•9 min saved

Beijing summit tests U.S.-China trade ties amid Iran and Taiwan headwinds

Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing for a two-day summit aimed at stabilizing a fragile U.S.-China trade truce while facing Iran-related tensions and Taiwan policy concerns. The talks are expected to produce narrow wins rather than sweeping breakthroughs, including discussions on a U.S.-China Board of Trade/Board of Investment, managing rare-earth exports as a leverage point, and other measures to rebalance trade while safeguarding economic strength and national security.

via NBC News|

#iran-war #rare-earths #taiwan

business2 months ago•4 min saved

US-backed rare-earth group seals $2.8bn Brazil deal to secure supply chain

USA Rare Earth will acquire Serra Verde in Goiás, Brazil, for $2.8 billion in a cash-and-stock deal, creating a fully integrated rare-earths platform in the US; Serra Verde is expected to account for about half of heavy rare earths outside China by 2027, underscoring Washington’s push to diversify critical minerals away from China.

via Financial Times|

#brazil #business #mining

world2 months ago•4 min saved

China's Hidden Windfall from the Iran War: Diplomacy, Energy Power, and AI Dominance

China quietly gained from the Iran war by keeping the U.S. distracted, boosting its diplomatic leverage and strengthening its energy and AI edge, aided by its dominant rare-earth supply chains. With the U.S. missile and drone stocks depleted and Beijing’s energy self-sufficiency rising, the conflict reshaped global risk in China’s favor—though the advantage isn’t unlimited if Hormuz disruptions persist.

via Axios|

#china #energy-security #iran-war

business3 months ago•7 min saved

Mountain Pass Revival: A US-led pivot in rare-earths supply chain

MP Materials revived the Mountain Pass mine from bankruptcy and flooding to become the United States’ end-to-end rare-earths producer (mining, refining, and magnet manufacturing). With a Pentagon-backed $400 million investment and a 15% government stake, the company plans to scale up magnet production in the U.S., including a Texas facility aimed at producing up to a million magnets per day by 2028 for customers like GM, reducing dependence on China which currently dominates the market. The deal and tariffs reflect a pragmatic push to secure a domestic, resilient supply chain for critical magnets.

via CBS News|

#business #china-dominance #magnets

world4 months ago•2 min saved

India and Brazil sign critical minerals pact to diversify supply chains away from China

India and Brazil signed a pact to boost cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths to diversify away from China, with Modi calling it a major step toward resilient supply chains and Lula stressing renewed energy and mineral collaboration. The nine additional agreements span digital cooperation and health as the two nations aim to push bilateral trade beyond $20 billion in five years. Brazil, a major critical minerals producer, supports a wide range of industries, while India looks to broaden its supplier base after engaging with the US, France, and the EU. 2024 trade data show India’s exports to Brazil at $7.23 billion (refined petroleum main export) and Brazil’s exports to India at $5.38 billion (raw sugar main export).

via Al Jazeera|

#china-dependency #critical-minerals #india-brazil-relations

business5 months ago•7 min saved

US Hosts Global Push to Diversify Critical Mineral Supplies

Washington hosts 50+ countries for a Critical Minerals Ministerial to strengthen diversified, resilient supply chains amid China’s dominance, with talks on a minerals price floor, the Project Vault stockpile, and expanding processing capacity with allies like Australia and the EU, signaling a push to onshore critical minerals and reduce reliance on a single supplier.

via Al Jazeera|

#business #china #critical-minerals