The US rare earths sector needs large companies capable of taking risks, as low prices make new projects challenging, according to James Litinsky, chief executive of MP Materials, the country’s only rare earths miner. “Our best hope is to make sure that we lower the cost of capital for the companies that have the scale […]
> Despite the rapid growth in use of cheaper lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes in batteries over the past year, nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) chemistries will be dominant by the end of the decade, due to growth in Western electric vehicle markets. LFP is forecast to account for 44% of total cathode demand in 2030 while […]
> China has postponed the implementation of its expanded rare earth export controls announced in early October following high-level US-China trade negotiations in South Korea this week. It marks a temporary easing in what had become an escalating front in the tit-for-tat US–China trade confrontation. The announcement follows extensive economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, […]
> In the third quarter of 2025, 18 of the largest 25 copper miners reported quarter-on-quarter decreases in their output, including the top four miners. The total Q3 copper production reported by the top 25 miners hit 3.72Mt. “In the third quarter, many companies saw lower production compared to the previous quarter. However, most did not […]
> NEO Performance Materials (NEO), a Canadian company with 30 years of rare earths industry experience, officially opened its rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) plant in Narva, Estonia, with a high-level ceremony on September 19, with Benchmark in attendance. The Narva plant marks NEO’s second rare earth facility in Estonia, complementing its established Silmet rare earth […]
> US President Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have signed a landmark Critical Minerals Framework to bolster both nations’ access to rare earths and other critical minerals, in an effort to counter China’s dominance over strategically important supply chains. The framework indicates that the two governments will utilise a range of policy instruments to […]
> Global anode producers will struggle to compete with the largest Chinese producers of the battery material without innovation, Benchmark analyst Albert Li said at the Benchmark Week 2023 conference in Los Angeles. “Unless there is any revolutionary anode product that changes the whole picture, future anode producers outside China will have to compete directly with […]
> US President Donald Trump this week secured major investments in US-based projects from Japan and South Korea covering critical minerals, stationary storage, and other high-priority sectors, as part of trade agreements to lower US tariff barriers. The trade deals come ahead of a high-level meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping – the […]
> Lithium chemical prices spiked in China on Monday following a bullish speech by the chairman of Ganfeng – the world’s third-largest lithium producer – in which it was suggested that lithium demand growth could reach 30% in 2026. In a keynote speech on 16 November at the 10th International Summit on Power Battery Application in […]