DRC offers manganese, copper‑cobalt, and lithium assets to US investors under minerals pact

The Democratic Republic of Congo has sent Washington a shortlist of state-owned assets – including manganese, copper-cobalt, gold and lithium projects – for U.S. investors to consider as part of a ​minerals partnership, two senior Congolese officials said. The list, delivered to United States officials last week, represents Washington’s most tangible ‌progress in converting peace and investment deals with Congo …

Continue Reading

Aluminum hits its highest price in nearly 4 years

View: Source Ton price reaches $3,225 amid rate cut bets, inflation worries, recovery hopes and supply concerns. Aluminum climbed to its highest level since April 2022, reaching $3,225 per ton on the London Metal Exchange (LME), as base metals started the year strong amid expectations of US interest rate cuts, ongoing demand from China, and concerns over tariffs and supply. Production …

Continue Reading

Why the aluminum market is tightening and why prices may stay supported into 2026

View: Source In recent years, people often explained aluminium prices using familiar demand stories like construction cycles, auto production, sentiment from China, and seasonal buying. However, as we approach 2026, a larger factor affecting price behaviour is hard to overlook: supply is less flexible than it once was. Even in a slower-growing economy, aluminium prices can remain elevated if the market …

Continue Reading

Copper prices spark renewed £190bn Rio Tinto-Glencore merger talks

View: Source Mining giants Rio Tinto and Glencore have resumed negotiations regarding a potential £190 billion deal that would establish the world’s largest mining company. On Friday, the two firms confirmed preliminary discussions concerning a combination of businesses, expected to be structured as an acquisition of Glencore via a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement. This follows a previous attempt in late 2024, …

Continue Reading

Copper Hits Record $13,000 on Tariff Concerns and Risk-On Mood

View: Source Copper touched $13,000 a ton for the first time, extending last year’s scorching rally as mine outages and trade dislocations fuel concerns over supplies of the key industrial metal. Benchmark futures rallied as much as 4.3% in London. A strike at the Mantoverde mine in Chile was just the latest supply disruption at a time of expanding global demand …

Continue Reading

Aluminum Hits $3,000 for First Time Since 2022 on Supply Concern

View: Source Aluminum climbed above $3,000 a ton for the first time in more than three years on a tightening supply outlook and long-term demand bets, joining other base metals notching recent milestones. A cap on Chinese smelting capacity and constraints to European production due to higher electricity prices have chipped away at global inventories, while the demand outlook from the …

Continue Reading

Nickel hits nine-month high as Indonesia cuts back to boost prices

Nickel is still among this year’s weaker performers on the London Metal Exchange. Credit: TheWest View: Source Nickel has hit the highest since March after top producer Indonesia flagged plans to cut supply in order to boost prices. Nickel rose as much as 4.7 per cent to $US16,560 a tonne on the LME, extending a rally that tracked other metals from mid-December. After …

Continue Reading

Copper Set for Biggest Annual Gain Since 2009 on Supply Bets

Photographer: Lauren Petracca/Bloomberg View: Source Copper headed for its biggest annual gain since 2009, fueled by near-term supply tightness and bets that demand for the metal key in electrification will outpace production. The red metal has notched a series of all-time highs in an end-of-year surge, rallying over 40% on the London Metal Exchange this year. That makes it, along with …

Continue Reading

Copper price surge past $12,000 as tariffs and mine disruptions fuel rally

View: Source Copper jumps past $12,000 as US tariff fears and supply disruptions fuel the strongest rally since 2009. Mine outages and a rush of shipments to the US tighten global copper supplies despite weak China demand. Banks warn of market deficits, with bullish forecasts persisting even as skeptics flag demand risks. Copper prices have climbed to a fresh all-time high …

Continue Reading