Chile moves to formalize critical minerals strategy

Chilean lawmakers have introduced a bill to establish a legal framework governing critical minerals, aiming to secure supply chains and address a regulatory gap without altering existing mining laws. A cross-party group of senators, including Paulina Núñez, José Miguel Calisto, Iván Flores, Gastón Saavedra and Iván Moreira, tabled the proposal, now in its initial constitutional stage and under review by the Senate’s …

Continue Reading

Central Banks Added More Gold in March But Big Sales Sent Net Purchases Negative

Central banks continued to buy gold in March; however, big sales by Turkey and Russia sent net purchases negative by 27 tonnes. Officially, central banks globally bought 37 tonnes of gold in March, led by Poland. The Gold Buyers !!–Product-Random-Best-2–!! Despite rumors that the country might tap into its gold reserves to fund defense spending, the National Bank of Poland …

Continue Reading

DR Congo’s Cobalt Miners Pivot To Copper Amid Price Crash

Democratic Republic of the Congo is pivoting its mining strategy: cutting cobalt output amid oversupply and low prices while shifting focus to copper, where demand is surging and supply is tightening. Strict cobalt export quotas are replacing the earlier ban, aiming to stabilize prices, boost revenues, and incentivize local processing and industrial development. Major miners like Glencore and CMOC are …

Continue Reading

Argentina mining revival fuels $40B copper push

Argentina’s mining sector is increasingly becoming a focal point of geopolitical competition, as global powers and multinational firms vie for access to the country’s vast mineral reserves. Set against a backdrop of economic volatility, shifting regulatory frameworks and regional political dynamics, Argentina offers both high-risk uncertainty and high-reward potential for miners. The country is also part of the “Lithium Triangle”, with …

Continue Reading

Canada posts trade surplus in March thanks to higher crude prices, surging gold exports

$1.78B surplus contrasts with $5.11B deficit in February. Canada’s merchandise trade balance swung to a surplus in March as higher crude oil prices and surging demand for gold drove a sharp jump in exports while imports declined, data showed on Tuesday. Statistics Canada said ​the country posted a $1.78 billion surplus in March, compared with a $5.11 billion deficit in …

Continue Reading

Rewiring Critical Mineral Supply Chains: The Canada–Japan–France Partnership

For much of the past decade, critical mineral diplomacy was framed through a binary lens: either align with China—the dominant player in extraction, refining, and processing—or rally behind US-led friendshoring efforts. That binary is now breaking down. A new triangular alignment between Canada, Japan, and France is beginning to take shape within the G7, driven by a shared recognition that overdependence on …

Continue Reading

Lithium deficit strains investments of US$15.9bn in Latin America

A group of 27 lithium projects, including greenfield and brownfield developments in Latin America, involving investments of US$15.9 billion, are expected to start production, expand or increase processing rates between this year and 2030, amid growing pressure on global supply. The portfolio aims to supply a market showing signs of a deficit projected between 2026 and 2035, creating a challenging …

Continue Reading

Central Banks Reserves Fuel Gold’s Rise and Silver’s Repricing Gains Momentum

Gold and silver both edged lower last week, with gold closing around $4,614 and silver near $75, a modest pullback in what remains a broader uptrend. The gold-to-silver ratio is tightening around 61, signaling a market that’s coiling and potentially setting up for a bigger directional move. One of the biggest drivers right now: central banks. They’ve shifted decisively back to gold …

Continue Reading

Japan and Australia agree to deepen cooperation on energy, defence and critical minerals

The prime ministers of Japan and Australia agreed to deepen cooperation in a wide range of areas including energy security, defense and critical minerals as the Iran war threatens global supply chains. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at Australia’s Parliament House on Monday during Takaichi’s first visit to the country as national leader. Takaichi …

Continue Reading