The global race is on to secure critical minerals. Why do they matter so much?

View: Source Critical minerals are having a moment. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is at the White House to talk up Australia’s rich deposits with President Donald Trump. China, which has a global stranglehold on rare earth elements, recently imposed new export restrictions, much to Trump’s annoyance. It’s clear there’s an era of global competition underway. Critical minerals are essential for manufacturing advanced technologies, such as …

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Can Gold Replace or Prop Up a Crumbling Monetary System?

View: Source Much has been whispered, postulated and debated over the decades regarding gold’s potential and place in a new global monetary system. Why? Gold has had a long monetary history, whereas fiat currencies, even the strong ones, have not survived the tendencies of rulers and governments to debase their currencies after insurmountable debt accumulation to fund their expanding programs, be …

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Canada unfazed by US moves on critical minerals, calls it ‘capitalism in action’

View: Source Canada’s Natural Resources Minister, Tim Hodgson, says the government is not alarmed by the US taking minority stakes in Canadian critical minerals companies, describing the moves as “capitalism in action” rather than a threat to national interests. Speaking at a virtual press briefing from London on Thursday, Hodgson said Canada retained tools to protect its economic and national interests but viewed …

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Tariffs and rare earths: New chapters in negotiations between Brazil and the US

View: Source Representatives from the governments of Brazil and the US held their first official meeting to discuss tariffs, but the outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain. This week, delegations from both countries met to discuss the 50% tariffs imposed by the US on Brazilian products, in effect since the beginning of August. “Today October 16, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and United …

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Europe In The Rare Earth Trap: Up To 4 Million German Jobs At Risk As Beijing Tightens

View: Source Rare earth elements have become geopolitical dynamite. According to a new analysis by consultancy McKinsey & Company, up to four million jobs in Germany are on the line if top supplier China imposes a permanent export ban. These critical minerals are indispensable to Germany’s high-tech economy: they’re used in precision sensors, specialized magnets, and control systems essential to engineering, …

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US Cancels $500 Million Cobalt Tender in Critical Minerals Blow

View: Source The US Defense Department canceled a tender to buy cobalt, in a fresh sign of the challenges facing Western countries trying to bolster domestic supplies of the battery metal. The Defense Logistics Agency first sought offers in mid-August for up to 7,500 tons of cobalt over the next five years in a contract worth as much as $500 million. …

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The Slowly Mounting Mineral Shock

View: Source China’s latest squeeze on mineral exports – and Washington’s threat of retaliation – ends any illusion that critical minerals are a niche matter. They are the scaffolding of modern society. A nearly bewildering array of minerals are essential for everything from defense technologies to EV dreams to the great race for “dominance” in artificial intelligence. Neither America, nor our allies, extract and refine enough key minerals. The United States depends on imports for most (in some cases all) key minerals including copper, …

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How China’s rare earth restrictions could disrupt the U.S. defense industry and reignite a trade war

View: Source China will not allow the export of rare earth materials for use by foreign militaries under restrictions announced last week. Rare earth magnets are crucial components in U.S. weapons such as the F-35 warplane, Tomahawk missiles and drones among other defense systems. The U.S. relies on rare earth imports from China. The restrictions provide President Xi Jinping with significant …

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Auto companies sound alarm over China’s rare earth export clampdown

View: Source In this post: China tightened rare earth export restrictions last week, sparking fears of major supply chain disruptions across Europe’s automotive industry. European car manufacturers are particularly vulnerable since China produces 60% of the world’s rare earth materials. Industry leaders warn that backup stockpiles from earlier restrictions are nearly depleted and want urgent government action to resolve the crisis. …

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Overbought RSI Short Sellers Feed the Bull as Gold Clears $4200 With Power

View: Source Key Points: Gold price hits record $4218.41 as Fed rate cut bets and U.S.-China tensions fuel strong safe-haven demand. Traders price in 96% chance of an October rate cut and 93% for December, boosting the bullish gold market outlook. Strong upside momentum continues to squeeze RSI top-pickers as gold bulls ignore overbought warnings. Gold Price Clears $4200 for First …

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