Chanticleer Australia ready to play dirty against China’s rare earths manipulation We usually fly the flag for free trade, but the critical minerals reserve suggests the Albanese government is prepared to manipulate as well. May 21, 2025 https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/aus...na-s-rare-earths-manipulation-20250521-p5m136 Resources Minister Madeleine King has a simple message for those who suggest the Albanese government’s critical minerals stockpile represents a deliberate attempt to manipulate the market: Get real. “We can’t pretend that we live in an ideal, global, open and free trade situation,” King told the Financial Review Mining Summit. “I would like to, but that doesn’t exist right now, and I don’t know when it’s coming back.” Madeleine King says Australia cannot pretend trade is fair and open when it comes to rare earths. Ross Swanborough King is blunt. The markets for rare earths and critical minerals are clearly being manipulated, with China’s recent rare earths exports ban – which Lynas chief executive Amanda Lacaze described as sophisticated, in that it can target both products and customers – simply the latest example. The details of the critical minerals reserve are so sketchy at this stage that the whole thing feels more like a state of mind than a concrete proposal. King, who is set to launch a taskforce that will be asked to come up with something in about 12 months, has given only the most basic of outlines. The government will sign offtake agreements with strategic projects on a voluntary basis, and then could do several different things with the minerals it buys: sell to strategic partners (countries or companies), pool minerals to help smaller players and projects get market access or, in relatively rare instances, physically stockpile rare earths for short periods. How all that actually works is yet to be decided. King reckons the reserve needs flexibility to adapt with changes in the market, and certain minerals may come off and on the list at different times. She also says the reserve’s purchasing decisions will be strategic, and won’t be used to support uncommercial projects, although clearly any project that wins the support of the reserve will get a big boost. There’s obviously a lot of grey there, so the rules, systems and processes of this initiative will need to be nailed down. What was clear from Wednesday’s summit was that industry will want to be involved in the development of the government’s plan. But while there is a bit of healthy scepticism – IGO chief executive Ivan Vella pointed to Australia’s experience with the wool board as an example of where such industry schemes can go wrong – the overwhelming view was that the government is on the right track. Rebecca Tomkinson, CEO of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, says the reserve will not be a panacea, but it is “a recognition that we do need to put in structural supports for what is a very disrupted market and one that has a dominant player to it”. Clearly, there is an element of Australia playing a bit dirty here. Luca Giacovazzi, chief executive of Andrew Forrest’s mining investment vehicle Wyloo, quite rightly called the concept a hybrid between free market principles – which Australia and Australian miners typically defend to the hilt – and China’s approach of out-and-out manipulation. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, he says. “We should give the government some space to come out with what it’s actually going to look like. And I think they should be commended for thinking creatively because this isn’t a simple thing to try and solve for.” Rowena Smith, CEO of rare earths hopeful Australian Strategic Materials, agrees with Giacovazzi that the critical minerals reserve could be quite powerful if it can act as an aggregator for smaller projects which can struggle to convince big customers – say, in the US defence sector – of their legitimacy. At the end of the day, the main thing the critical mineral reserve needs to do is to put a little crack in China’s control of rare earths pricing. As Giacovazzi says, the critical minerals sector is dominated by a landlord – China – that has spent 50 years building its rare earth industry, and it has almost unfettered power to extract economic rents from wherever it wants along the value chain. When it buys critical minerals for its new reserve, the Australian government will have a chance to show the world that rare earths can be priced in a different way. As Smith says, Australia’s rare earths “just want fair pricing and stable pricing” to have a fighting chance in this great global race. The critical minerals reserve won’t be a silver bullet, but it’s a little chance to fight fire with fire
https://www.stocktitan.net/news/NVX...p-to-721-tariffs-on-chinese-akse3ybhpvnm.html U.S. Department of Commerce to Place Up to 721% Tariffs on Chinese Graphite The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced a preliminary decision to impose up to 721% countervailing duty tariffs on Chinese graphite anode material, a crucial component in lithium-ion batteries. This follows the International Trade Commission's February finding that China's artificially cheap graphite exports suppressed U.S. industry development. NOVONIX (NASDAQ: NVX), a member of the American Active Anode Material Producers group that filed the trade case, is positioned to benefit with its Riverside facility scaling to 20,000 tonnes per annum capacity. The company is also developing a second plant at Enterprise South Industrial Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which will bring total production capacity to over 50,000 tonnes per annum. Final determinations for both countervailing and antidumping duty investigations are expected around December 5, 2025.
This appears the reason.... Bloomberg... Trump Vows No Tariff Extension, Hardens Threats on Copper, Drugs By Stephanie Lai July 8, 2025 at 10:50 PM GMT+8 Updated onJuly 9, 2025 at 2:11 AM GMT+8 Takeaways President Donald Trump vowed to push forward with his aggressive tariff regime, stressing he would not offer additional extensions on country-specific levies set to hit in early August. Trump said he would impose a 50% rate on copper products being sent into the US and could announce substantial new rates on imports of pharmaceuticals, with drug companies potentially facing a tax as high as 200% on imports. Trump also said he would impose tariffs on countries participating in BRICS, with India facing an additional 10% levy, and that he would unilaterally declare new tariff rates within the next two days if necessary. Summary by Bloomberg AI President Donald Trump vowed to push forward with his aggressive tariff regime in the coming days, stressing he would not offer additional extensions on country-specific levies set to now hit in early August while indicating he could announce substantial new rates on imports of copper and pharmaceuticals.
Behind paywall.... Australia Chanticleer BHP, Rio Tinto in the dark as Trump’s copper storm brews Shaking up a market that’s very good to our two big miners is a big threat. But don’t forget what BHP and Rio Tinto do have in the US. Jul 9, 2025 https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/bhp...as-trump-s-copper-storm-brews-20250709-p5mdlk US President Donald Trump’s trade war on China is far from over. First, we got 50 per cent import tariffs on steel and aluminium, now it’s copper, and some other metal or mineral will be next. Trump is trying to beef up US industry. He wants mines, smelters and metal produced in-country to flow straight into factories and wherever else they are needed. US resilience, security, jobs and budget repair are the long-term goals. Donald Trump is trying to stoke the US commodities sector by taxing imports on metals and minerals like copper. David Rowe Copper smelting is dominated by China and Chinese producers – something that isn’t changing via market forces alone. Trump’s intervention makes those copper imports more expensive, which should provide a leg-up to US miners and producers. The US imported 53 per cent of its copper needs last year, according to Morgan Stanley, mostly from Chile and Canada. The copper import tariff is due to be implemented within weeks. It’s a big global story, not an Australian story. But Australia has a big role to play. BHP and Rio Tinto are two of the biggest copper producers in the world – and both are investing billions of dollars into new copper production. Most of Rio Tinto’s copper comes from Mongolia (Oyu Tolgoi), Chile (Escondida) and the US (Kennecott, home of one of only two US smelters), while BHP is focused on Chile (Escondida, Pampa Norte), Peru (Antamina) and South Australia. A lot of their copper ends up in the US and will get hit by the import tariffs. At face value, the shake-up of the global copper trade is a threat for the two established players. But do not forget, these two mining giants are also sitting on what could be the largest copper mine in North America: Resolution Copper. Resolution Copper could supply 25 per cent of the annual US copper production – or about 500,000 tonnes a year – which would put the icing on their respective copper portfolios. But Resolution Copper is also one of Rio and BHP’s big disappointments. It’s a white elephant; they’ve spent more than $US2 billion each on it, and never mined a pound. The whole thing is wrapped up in native title and environmental disputes, and has been for years. Rio Tinto owns 55 per cent and is in charge. Since Trump was elected, Resolution Copper has had a few wins. It was granted FAST-41 status by the US government to accelerate federal permitting in April, and received environmental approval from the US Department of Agriculture last month. There are challenges (and court cases) from some indigenous Apache people pending and analysts still don’t have it in their BHP or Rio copper forecasts, but clearly there is some momentum. Add Trump’s new copper tariffs, and you’d think this is the type of project he wants to spark. Resolution Copper is locally mined copper for the AI and defence industries, it is jobs, it is a potentially huge capital investment program into a long-life project, and it is from a pair of big, deep-pocketed miners from ally countries. Rio Tinto and BHP were still trying to work out what Trump’s new copper import tariff means on Wednesday morning. Like everything we’ve seen in the past six months, this is policy on the fly with no one too sure about who, what, when, where, or other important details. All we know is the president wants it to happen, and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik says it could be in place as soon as this month. The miners were equally in the dark as their investors. “So far, there are no details on whether this would apply to all copper products (e.g. would scrap imports be excluded, like they are for aluminium?), or the exact implementation date,” Morgan Stanley’s commodities strategists told fund managers. Commodities strategists headed straight for what it meant for copper pricing on the world’s two big exchanges – London (LME) and New York (COMEX). Citi’s commodities team said the non-US copper price should fall in the short term. Australian equity investors went straight to BHP and Rio. Both opened marginally higher on an otherwise down day on the ASX – but no one seemed too certain about whether Trump’s copper tariff was good or bad news for them. The copper import tariff announcement is a further reminder of the big forces clashing in politics, the economy, business and markets globally. Trump’s trade war looks far from over. Just in metals and mining, there are 51 different metals and minerals under review as part of the ongoing Critical Minerals S232 investigation, Citi’s team reminded clients on Wednesday morning, including things that are important to Australia and its miners (nickel, zinc, lithium etc). And in the background we have Trump’s reciprocal tariffs – the watered-down ones from “liberation day” back in April. Trump said the August deadline wouldn’t be extended on Wednesday morning, something largely overshadowed by the copper news.
Apple’s $500 Million Deal With MP Materials — Only Rare Earths Mine In U.S. — Sends Stock Soaring ByAntonio Pequeño IV, Forbes Staff. Pequeño is a breaking news reporter who covers tech and more. Jul 15, 2025, 04:44pm EDT Topline MP Materials’ stock closed up just over 20% on Tuesday, surging after the mining company announced a $500 million deal with Apple to develop a recycling line for the rare Earth materials that are increasingly in demand for their vital role in many high-tech devices. MP Materials shares closed up 20%. (Photo More SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Key Facts MP Materials, the only rare Earth element mining company in the U.S., will sell rare earth magnets developed at its flagship Fort Worth, Texas, facility to Apple, according to an announcement from the tech giant. I hold no position or material interest in MP.
US to impose 93.5% duty on graphite imports from China AuthorVlad Schepkov Published 18/07/2025, 03:48 am US to impose 93.5% duty on graphite imports from China Investing.com -- The US Commerce Department has imposed preliminary anti-dumping duties of 93.5% on Chinese imports of graphite, a key battery component, after determining the materials were unfairly subsidized. The decision follows petitions filed in December by a trade association representing US graphite producers, which requested investigations into whether Chinese companies were violating anti-dumping laws. According to American Active Anode Material Producers, the trade group that filed the complaint, these new duties will be added to existing rates, making the effective tariff 160%. The Commerce Department issued its preliminary determination on Thursday, affirming the anti-dumping duties. A final ruling on the matter is expected to be announced by December 5.
https://www.marathonfusion.com/ Marathon Fusion A New Frontier in Fusion Technology On the scalable production of gold from fusion reactors Marathon Fusion has announced a solution to the millennia-old grand challenge of alchemy: the transmutation of gold. Unlike previous attempts, our method is massively scalable, pragmatically achievable, and economically irresistible. In deuterium-tritium fusion, high-energy neutrons drive "multiplication" reactions to close the fuel cycle by producing the tritium needed to sustain operation. Making use of those neutrons to drive a multiplication reaction on mercury-198, our approach produces mercury-197 which then decays in a few days to the only stable isotope of gold. Using our approach, power plants can generate five thousand kilograms of gold per year, per gigawatt of electricity generation (~2.5 GWth), without any compromise to fuel self-sufficiency or power output. This marks the beginning of a new Golden Age. Not only for the production of critical minerals, but also for energy, prosperity, and scientific discovery. Marathon's Mission Since our founding in 2023, we've developed fuel cycle technologies to deliver fusion energy more quickly with better economics. Marathon Fusion was founded by Adam Rutkowski, previously a Propulsion Engineer at SpaceX and PhD candidate in Plasma Physics at Princeton University, and Kyle Schiller, previously a Fellow in science policy at Schmidt Futures. We believed then, and now more than ever, that fusion is humanity's best pathway to abundant, clean and reliable energy. Marathon Fusion is supported by several awards from the US Department of Energy, as well as the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program, and leading investors including 1517 Fund and Strong Atomics. Response From the Fusion Community While awaiting formal peer-review, the pre-print is generating excitement among leading scientists: "This new technology approach that Marathon Fusion is developing changes fundamentally how we should think about fusion as an energy source." —Dr. Per F. Peterson, Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Engineering at U.C. Berkeley and Scientific Advisor to Marathon Fusion "The technology described could have a major impact on the economics of fusion energy if it's able to be fully realized and integrated into upcoming power plants. Improved economics could further relax some engineering and scientific requirements, accelerating the path to commercial deployment. This is potentially highly impactful, and I'll be paying close attention to the results of rigorous peer review" —Dr. Dan Brunner, former CTO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, and Scientific Advisor to Marathon Fusion "The discovery of scalable gold transmutation by leveraging fusion neutrons could fundamentally shift the techno-economic landscape. Marathon Fusion's breakthrough—commercial-scale gold synthesis via nuclear reactions—redefines fusion economics and could unlock the capital needed for next-generation power plants." —Dr. Ahmed Diallo, Principal Research Physicist and Distinguished Research Fellow at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) A Golden Age for Fusion Marathon's techno-economic modeling suggests that fusion plants could create as much economic value from gold production as they do from electricity production, potentially doubling the value of these facilities, radically transforming the economics of fusion and of energy more broadly. We aim to leverage this advance alongside policy and investment to accelerate large-scale deployment of fusion energy. Even beyond gold, the possibilities are abundant: creating other precious metals like palladium, synthesizing medical isotopes at scale, and producing materials for nuclear batteries. Alchemy-native fusion reactors can also be rethought to take advantage of relaxed economic constraints, opening up opportunities in simpler and more scalable approaches. Towards a New Frontier Throughout history, scientific development has been key to furthering human understanding and flourishing. Now more than ever, optimism and innovation are needed to address the world's critical challenges. As in every age, there are inventors, scientists, and adventurers: those who push forward into the unknown. Our growing team has experience at SpaceX, Helion Energy, TAE Technologies, Tokamak Energy, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, Tesla, Argonne National Lab, Fermilab, Charm Industrial, Northrop Grumman, and Commonwealth Fusion Systems, as well as 10 PhDs in physics, chemistry, materials science and chemical engineering. Together, we will usher in a renaissance in fusion technology. And to those who share our belief in the unrelenting promise and potential of scientific progress: the frontier is open, we'll see you there. Contact 150 Mississippi St San Francisco, CA 94107 United States info@marathonfusion.com
Graphite stocks going gangbusters...... Here's one for you guys..... Titan Mining On Track to Become the Only Fully Integrated U.S. Graphite Producer by Q4 2025 July 21, 2025 06:00 ET | Source: Titan Mining Corporation Gouverneur, N.Y., July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Titan Mining Corporation (TSX: TI; OTCQB: TIMCF) (“Titan” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update on the construction of its graphite processing facility for its Kilbourne Graphite Project at Empire State Mines LLC (“ESM”), its wholly owned subsidiary located in St. Lawrence County, New York. Highlights: First Fully Integrated U.S. Graphite Producer in 70+ Years: Titan on track to deliver domestically sourced and processed natural graphite in Q4 2025. Major Construction Milestone Achieved: Over 50% of major equipment delivered; installation starting August 2025, commissioning targeted for Q4 2025. North American Supply Chain Focus: Over 90% of equipment sourced in North America, majority from the United States, supporting domestic manufacturing. Permitted and Ready for Operations: All key operating permits secured; sales qualification targeted for Q1 2026. Tariff-Free, Secure U.S. Supply: Titan offers a reliable, tariff-free graphite source amidst rising global trade restrictions and tariffs on imports. Strategic Advantage with Existing Infrastructure: Utilizes the Company’s skilled 135+ person workforce, on-site power, and logistics network to fast-track readiness. Clear Pathway to Growth: The Kilbourne Graphite Project offers significant scalability, positioning Titan to be able to meet a majority of projected U.S. graphite demand in key sectors. The recent arrival and placement of the ball mill—shown in the image below—marks another significant milestone in advancing toward operational readiness. Don Taylor, CEO of Titan commented: “Graphite is a critical material, yet the U.S. has gone decades without domestic production. The current resource outlined at Kilbourne represents only 8,300 ft of strike length tested of a known total strike length of 25,000 ft. Kilbourne has significant resource expansion potential to meet the demands of U.S. natural flake graphite over a long-term period. Our facility is a major step toward restoring U.S. industrial graphite capability and delivering a fully Made in America natural graphite product in 2025.” Rita Adiani, President of Titan commented: “With escalating tariffs on imports and tightening trade restrictions globally, Titan is uniquely positioned to offer secure, tariff-free, U.S.-produced graphite to industrial markets. By investing in U.S.-sourced equipment, leveraging existing infrastructure, and maintaining a skilled domestic workforce, Titan provides customers with a reliable alternative amidst growing supply chain uncertainty.” About Titan Mining Corporation Titan is an Augusta Group company which produces zinc concentrate at its 100%-owned Empire State Mine located in New York state. Titan is also an emerging natural flake graphite producer and targeting to be the USA’s first end to end producer of natural flake graphite in 70 years. Titan’s goal is to deliver shareholder value through operational excellence, development and exploration. We have a strong commitment towards developing critical minerals assets which enhance the security of the domestic supply chain. For more information on the Company, please visit our website at www.titanminingcorp.com
No agreement on international rules for deep sea mining By Philipp Znidar Updated July 22 2025 https://www.canberratimes.com.au/st...t-on-international-rules-for-deep-sea-mining/ A consensus on deep sea mining rules in international waters is no closer after a meeting in Jamaica Photo: AP PHOTO Delegates from around the world could not agree on a set of rules for deep sea mining at a council meeting of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Kingston. Environmental organisations such as Greenpeace see the failure to agree on a "mining code" as a success for the protection of oceans. "The ISA has shown backbone - and stood up to the deep-sea mining industry and governments such as the US under (President Donald) Trump," Greenpeace marine biologist Franziska Saalmann said. There is still no globally accepted set of rules for deep sea mining, in which so-called manganese nodules in particular are mined on the bed of the high seas, in international waters. Many countries and environmental organisations are calling for a moratorium in view of the risks to the barely explored ecosystems. The annual meeting of the ISA Assembly also started in Kingston on Monday and will run until July 25. All states parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea are automatically members of the ISA Assembly, which comprises 169 states and the European Union. The assembly's focus will be on fundamental issues relating to the protection of the sea. Observers such as environmental organisations and expert bodies are also participating. It is important to make it clear "that the deep sea is not a legal vacuum for industrial fantasies, but a global natural heritage that deserves protection," Saalmann said. In March, an initiative by Canadian company The Metals Company (TMC) came under fire. The company wants to obtain permission to mine in international waters through a partnership with the United States, which is not a UNCLOS signatory. Many states see this as an attempt to circumvent the ISA. TMC is planning to mine raw materials in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the eastern Pacific, where large quantities of manganese nodules containing nickel, cobalt and copper lie on the seabed. The metals are valuable for manufacturing products such as batteries for electric cars. The ISA has launched an investigation into the company. Australian Associated Press