Germany and the EU as a whole, as well as South Korea, are staring at a deficit of rare earth elements, while the U.S. and Japan are busy making supply deals, according to the top executive of Australian rare earths miner Arafura. The recent U.S. government deals to buy stakes in projects and miners in North America in exchange for supply are …
Continue ReadingBrazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday he will not allow other countries to take the nation’s rare earths and critical minerals, in remarks widely interpreted as a direct warning to the United States amid a growing dispute over control of these strategic resources. “Brazil is a very large, powerful country with great mineral wealth such as …
Continue ReadingTrump’s “Productive Talks” and the Five-Day Illusion Monday’s market reaction was dramatic. After threatening over the weekend to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t reopened within 48 hours, President Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. and Iran have had “very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in …
Continue ReadingUkraine holds deposits of 25 of the EU’s 34 critical raw materials, with the largest reserves of graphite, titanium and manganese in Europe, according to a study by Green Deal Ukraine on the country’s potential in the energy transition on March 24. “Natural graphite production in Ukraine fell by 88% between 2021 and 2024 due to temporary shutdowns of the only operating …
Continue ReadingChina’s push into the overseas market is rapidly reshaping the global supply chain for critical minerals. The country’s grip on raw materials and the energy transition is tightening, raising concerns about Western competitiveness. A report by Climate Energy Finance (CEF) shows that since 2023, Chinese firms have deployed more than $120 billion across lithium, copper, nickel, rare earths, and bauxite projects worldwide. The …
Continue ReadingTakeaways by Axi Select Gold weakness reflects liquidation, rising real yields, and delayed physical demand, not a breakdown in the long term macro case The Fed put is likely closer to a 15 percent equity drawdown as markets play a larger role in the economic feedback loop than in past cycles Any resolution to recession risk ultimately leads to easier policy …
Continue ReadingThe dot plot delivered the bearish scenario on March 18. Silver fell. And the structural forces underneath the market didn’t move by a single ounce. On March 18, the Federal Reserve held rates at 3.50–3.75% and released a dot plot signaling only one rate cut for the remainder of 2026. Silver, which had been trading around $80–82 when I published Issue …
Continue ReadingHead of Critical Minerals and Mining (International) at the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Oliver Richards presented a report on the future of global critical minerals supply and strategic cooperation with Mongolia, according to MiddleAsianNews. He noted that global critical minerals supply chains are currently highly concentrated, while demand is expected to increase significantly in the coming years due …
Continue ReadingOn March 19, 2026, Gold and silver erased over $3 trillion in market value. Whenever this happens, the first instinct is to panic. While that is valid, it’s important to ask the most important question: “Why?” Beyond the headlines, this moment signals something deeper that every investor must pay attention to. How A Bullish Run Turned Into A Sudden Breakdown To …
Continue ReadingIn March 2026, Kazakhstan moved into the spotlight of the global mining industry. Against the backdrop of an accelerating energy transition and a growing shortage of critical minerals, the government has launched a large-scale geological exploration program. Its strategic objective is to position the country as a key supplier of copper and rare earth elements (REEs) to global markets. For …
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