Mining & Metals
What's Happening in Mining & Metals
China is consolidating control over critical mineral supply chains across cobalt in Congo, rare earths globally, and mining assets in Bolivia and elsewhere, creating concentrated pricing power and geopolitical leverage over battery, semiconductor, and defense manufacturers worldwide. The UK and US are responding with domestic mining expansion strategies and stockpiling initiatives, though analysts assess these efforts as insufficient to offset China's established dominance in both extraction and processing. Copper has surged 15.8% this year on structural demand from power grid upgrades, renewable energy, and electrification infrastructure rather than speculative flows, signaling confidence in the industrial cycle despite AI volatility. Institutional capital is rotating into long-duration tangible assets including timberland, reflecting investor appetite for inflation hedges and real asset preservation as geopolitical competition for resources intensifies.
Mining & Metals covers companies and investments involved in the extraction, processing, and trading of minerals and metals used across industries.
8 events touching this theme
- Single source7 days agoUK Critical Minerals Strategy
UK parliament warns of dangerous reliance on China for defense and AI minerals
MPs found Britain overly dependent on Chinese supplies of critical minerals for military, renewable energy and artificial intelligence, urging centralized policy and dedicated funding.
The Guardian
- Single source8 days agoChina-Africa Resource Control
China secures more foreign mining assets to control critical mineral supply
Beijing is establishing state-controlled entities to acquire overseas mining operations and maintain its processing dominance in critical metals.
CNBC
- Single source10 days agoChina-Africa Resource Control
Chinese miners transform remote Bolivian Amazon town into extraction hub
Mayaya, a previously isolated settlement in Bolivia, has grown into a center for Chinese mining operations amid allegations of worker abuse and contraband exports.
The Guardian
- Single source23 days agoUS Critical Minerals Strategy
Copper surges 15.8% on AI, infrastructure and supply constraints
Copper outperforms gold in 2024; investors expect the rally to withstand an AI market pullback.
CNBC
- Single source26 days agoResource Competition & Markets
Institutional money pours into American timberland as long-duration investment
Investors are purchasing large timberland holdings across the U.S. as a long-term investment bet.
CNBC
- Single sourceabout 1 month agoResource Competition & Markets
Japanese authorities search Asahi and Kirin over suspected pricing collusion
Competition regulators conducted raids on two major Japanese brewers' facilities as part of an investigation into alleged price-fixing arrangements.
BBC News
- Single sourceNOT IN MAINSTREAM YETabout 2 months agoChina-Africa Resource Control
Analyst examines Beijing's dominance in Congolese cobalt supplies for battery production
Peter Zeihan discusses China's control over cobalt supply from Congo, a critical input for EV batteries.
Peter Zeihan
- Single sourceNOT IN MAINSTREAM YETabout 2 months agoUS Critical Minerals Strategy
Analyst says Trump's mineral stockpiling plan falls short of solving supply issues
Geopolitical analyst Peter Zeihan argues Project Vault fails to address mineral supply constraints.
Peter Zeihan