The West’s Bold Move to Crack China’s Rare Earth Monopoly

View: Source Western nations are racing to build independent rare earth and magnet supply chains after China restricted exports of key heavy rare earth elements like dysprosium and terbium. China controls about 90% of global refining and 94% of magnet manufacturing. The U.S., Canada, and Europe are investing in projects such as MP Materials’ Mountain Pass expansion and Aclara’s Louisiana separation …

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South Africa and EU sign critical-minerals pact as Brussels announces €350mn in infrastructure support

View: Source South Africa and the European Union signed a major critical minerals partnership at a high-level trilateral summit in Pretoria on November 20, with President Cyril Ramaphosa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa affirming a “mature” and “trust-based” relationship, according to a joint communiqué issued after the meeting. Von der Leyen said the …

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Lithium prices plunge in China after moves to curb speculative trading

View: Source Lithium prices in China fell sharply on Friday, short-circuiting a rally, after the main exchange stepped in to curb speculative trading and on a report that battery giant CATL could restart production at its flagship lithium mine. The most-active lithium carbonate contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange closed daytime trading down 9% at 91 020 yuan ($12 804.21) per …

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