Metal

Copper prices extended their collapse Wednesday, with Chinese futures hitting eight-month lows as Beijing’s retaliatory 84% tariffs on U.S. goods crushed hopes for a trade war détente. The selloff spread across base metals, with tin plunging 11% on supply resumptions. Key Price Moves (May 15):🔴 LME Copper (CMC3): $8,631/ton (-20% from March peak) 🔴 SHFE […]

Chile’s Codelco, the world’s top copper producer, is pushing to maximize output in 2024 after years of setbacks, with CEO Ruben Alvarado announcing plans to hit 1.39 million metric tons—the upper end of its forecasted range—while preparing a return to bond markets to fund growth. Key Highlights:📈 Production Rebound: After hitting 25-year lows in 2023, […]

Europe faces a stark reality check in its bid to break China’s stranglehold on rare earths, with new analysis showing the continent may produce less than 17% of its magnet-grade rare earth needs by 2030—despite surging demand for EVs and wind turbines. Key Findings:💰 Cost Crisis: Chinese rare earth products are 20-70% cheaper than European […]

Global commodity markets plunged Monday as escalating U.S.-China trade tensions sparked a broad-based selloff, with oil prices collapsing to 2021 lows and industrial metals tumbling amid growing recession fears. The selloff extended to agricultural markets, with coffee and cocoa joining the rout after new tariffs targeted key producing nations. Market Bloodbath Highlights:⛽ Oil Crisis: Brent […]

Chile’s Indigenous communities are negotiating with mining giants Codelco and SQM for greater control over lithium extraction in the Atacama Desert, as the country races to expand production of the critical EV battery metal. The talks, set to conclude by year-end, could reshape how Chile balances economic growth with Indigenous rights—and set a precedent for […]

A Ukrainian delegation will soon travel to Washington to negotiate a revised minerals agreement with the United States, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced Friday. The discussions follow the Trump administration’s updated proposal, which expands the scope of the original deal aimed at securing strategic mineral supplies. The initial agreement, left unsigned after a tense February […]

China has imposed sweeping export controls on rare earth elements, a critical move in its escalating trade war with the United States. The restrictions, announced late Friday, target 17 key minerals essential for defense, electronics, and green energy technologies—tightening Beijing’s grip on global supply chains. The decision comes in retaliation to President Trump’s steep tariff […]

Strategic Pivot: Days after imposing 10% global tariffs, the US is negotiating a multi-billion-dollar critical minerals deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to counter China’s dominance in cobalt, lithium, and uranium. Security-for-Minerals Pitch: The deal, proposed by a Congolese senator, would link US investment to ending the M23 rebel conflict in eastern DRC, […]

Deal Activity Shifts: Mining giants are pivoting to joint ventures and asset sales over full-scale M&A, with Q1 sector deals down 27% YoY to $15B (LSEG). Major miners like BHP (-26%), Rio Tinto (-23%), and Glencore (-42%) face stalled earnings amid China’s slowdown. Copper’s Contradiction: While long-term demand for copper (power grids, EVs) is robust—requiring […]

Copper prices remain volatile as traders and analysts grapple with uncertainty over the timing and impact of impending U.S. tariffs, sparking a race to move metal into the country before duties take effect. The market, which saw CME spot prices hit a record $5.277/lb in March, faces a precarious divide: bullish banks like Goldman Sachs […]