Guinea’s Simandou iron exports surge six months after first ore

Exports from Guinea’s Simandou iron-ore project surged in May, six months after the first shipment to China, marking a milestone in the ramp-up of the high-grade mine that has the potential to... 

China’s State buyer seeks scrutiny of new Fortescue iron-ore

China’s State-backed iron-ore buyer has instructed some steel mills to ask questions about Fortescue's new low-grade product as negotiations over a long-term supply contract hit a rough patch.... 

Indonesia advances export control plan despite uncertainty

Indonesia is pushing ahead with plans to centralize exports of key commodities starting June 1, casting a cloud of regulatory uncertainty over natural resource producers. Coal, palm oil and ferro... 

Iron-ore heads for monthly loss as coal spike pressures margins

Iron-ore headed for a monthly loss as a short-lived rally triggered by a fatal steelmaking-coal mine accident in China’s Shanxi province faded, leaving investors focused on mill margins and... 

South Africa set to run coal stations longer as gas projects lag

South Africa is poised to delay the retirement of about a fifth of its coal-fired electricity-generation capacity as gas projects earmarked to replace them remain behind schedule, contrasting a... 

Chinese coal disaster to ripple through steel, power, chemicals

The Shanxi coal disaster is likely to hit Chinese output in the short term, raising costs for steelmakers, power plants and chemicals manufacturers. The explosion at a coking coal mine that killed... 

South Africa poised for first rate hike since 2023 on Iran war

South Africa’s central bank is set to raise borrowing costs for the first time in three years as policymakers seek to combat inflationary pressures stemming from the Iran war, including sharply... 

Codelco, SQM budget $3bn for lithium project in Chile

Chilean mining companies Codelco and SQM are budgeting $3-billion to deploy new extraction technologies at their lithium joint venture in the Atacama Desert. The companies' Novandino Litio... 

SQM boosts lithium guidance as earnings top estimates

Chilean copper miner SQM reported a sharp increase in first-quarter profit and raised its lithium sales forecast, betting that robust demand from battery storage systems will keep the market... 

China’s Jinchuan says $145m missing in Congo mine probe

Jinchuan Group International Resources Co said an independent probe found that nearly $145-million was siphoned from its copper and cobalt operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo through... 

BHP reportedly cuts green push in iron-ore segment, media report says

BHP Group is allegedly pulling back on key decarbonization projects in its Western Australian iron-ore operations, slowing a climate strategy the miner had once positioned as central to its... 

Egypt eyes first aerial survey in 40 years to map mineral riches

Egypt will carry out its first comprehensive aerial mining survey in more than four decades, part of efforts to unlock mineral discoveries and attract foreign investment. Xcalibur Smart Mapping... 

Secretive deals, aggressive demands are new US foreign aid tactics

On a Friday last November, government officials representing Lesotho, a mountainous enclave in eastern South Africa, sat down in the capital Maseru for three hours of negotiations with Trump... 

Chalco agrees to build alumina plant in Guinea for $1bn

Aluminum Corp of China, the country’s largest State-owned producer of the lightweight metal, has agreed to invest $1-billion in an alumina plant in Guinea to tap local bauxite resources. Chalco, as... 

EU’s top copper miner KGHM eyes takeovers as global energy shift spurs demand for red metal

KGHM Polska Miedz SA, the EU’s largest copper producer, plans to expand its footprint abroad as the global shift to cleaner technologies fuels appetite for the red metal. Poland-based KGHM wants... 

South Africa evacuating sub-Antarctic base after fuel delay

South Africa said it’s evacuating researchers at a sub-Antarctic Marion Island base after the Iran war delayed fuel deliveries needed for the operations. The “urgent evacuation of the overwintering... 

Goldman now sees two 2026 South Africa rate hikes because of war

Goldman Sachs expects South Africa to raise interest rates twice this year after previously seeing a series of cuts, as the Iran war fans inflation risks around the world. The bank forecasts... 

Copper climbs toward record high as global supply tightens

Copper extended gains above $14 000/t, inching toward a record high seen earlier this year, as supply risks mount on mine disruptions around the world. The red metal rallied for an eighth session... 

Race for critical minerals leaves EU struggling to keep up

For the EU, the fate of a Cold War-era mine near Bratislava is becoming a litmus test for its ambition to break free from China’s chokehold over critical minerals. Sitting in a wooded range of... 

South Africa says war puts R2-trillion revenue goal at risk

South Africa’s newly appointed tax commissioner warned that the Iran war could undermine the government’s ability to meet its revenue targets, as rising fuel prices drive costly subsidies and... 

Freeport Indonesia pushes back Grasberg Copper restart by a year

PT Freeport Indonesia pushed back the full restart of its giant Grasberg copper mine by a year, worsening supply constraints that are already impacting the global market for the metal. The complex... 

Myanmar finds giant 11 000 ct ruby in Mandalay Region

Myanmar has announced the discovery of a massive ruby weighing 11 000 ct (2.2 kg), a rare find even for the country’s central gemstone hub of Mogok near Mandalay. The purplish-red stone, found... 

Japan offers energy loan, ammonia technology to South Africa

Japan plans to fast-track talks with South Africa on a yen-denominated energy loan, while promoting its technology to blend ammonia with coal to reduce carbon emissions in a country that still... 

Top Africa ports miss refuel gain even as Iran war diverts ships

African ports are capturing only a fraction of shipping rerouted around the continent’s southern tip after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring their limited ability to turn global... 

South Africa moves to quell fallout from anti-immigrant attacks

South Africa’s foreign ministry is stepping up diplomatic efforts to quell growing concern on the continent about rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the country. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said... 

Heidelberg weighs bid to acquire South African cement firm PPC

Heidelberg Materials is in talks with banks to appoint financial advisers as it considers a bid for top South African cement maker PPC, according to people familiar with the matter. The German... 

Kganyago wary of CPI yet guarded on rate outlook

South Africa’s central bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said policymakers will “very carefully” monitor incoming data to guide their next rate decision, as the Iran war clouds the inflation outlook... 

Canada giving $1.1bn to firms hit by US metal tariff rules

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government unveiled measures worth C$1.5-billion, or $1.1-billion, to help Canadian firms hurt by the Trump administration’s changes to US tariffs on imports containing... 

Germany sees US as vulnerable to squeeze on potash supplies

German authorities seeking to map out US supply-chain vulnerabilities as a way to win leverage with President Donald Trump’s administration have identified a key pressure point: potash. The US... 

Canadian miner invested in Cuba says it's asssessing Trump's fresh sanctions

A Canadian mining company that is among Cuba’s largest foreign investors is consulting with advisers and stakeholders after President Donald Trump expanded US sanctions against the struggling... 

South African farms face El Niño drought risk on top of Iran war

South African farmers pinched by mounting costs from the Iran war now face the added risk of an El Niño-induced drought, with implications for lower agricultural output and higher food prices.... 

Japan’s Sumitomo to divest stake in Madagascar nickel project

Sumitomo Corp plans to sell its majority stake in the Ambatovy nickel project in Madagascar following a review of market conditions. The Japanese trading house said it will divest its 54% interest... 

KoBold starts work on Zambian copper mine

KoBold Metals, the exploration company backed by billionaires including Bill Gates and Sam Altman, officially broke ground on what will be Zambia’s biggest copper mine as the global hunt for... 

South Africa law firms ask court to quash industry equity code

Some of South Africa’s biggest law firms have asked a court to set aside the nation’s policy governing Black ownership and representation in the profession, saying that its “unlawful” and... 

China's scant winds allow fossil fuel power to make a comeback

Fossil fuels staged a comeback in China’s power sector last quarter, as weather variations and grid constraints slowed the growth of clean energy. Thermal power output rose 3.7% over the first... 

World Bank teams up with Amazon for a $120m Spekboom bond

The World Bank has teamed up with Amazon on a bond whose proceeds will go toward rehabilitating ecosystems in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. The $120-million 14-year bond, which was sold to... 

War squeezes global mining as diesel and acid supplies tighten

From the Australian outback to Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the global mining industry is beginning to feel the effects of disruption caused by the war in Iran. War-driven... 

World’s biggest lithium mine gets downgrade on ‘systemic issues'

Shares in Australian miner IGO tumbled as much as 14% after the company delivered a major downgrade to production guidance for Greenbushes, the world’s biggest hard-rock lithium mine. The company... 

Anglo advances coal business sale after setback with Peabody

Anglo American has at least three potential buyers for its Australian steelmaking coal business after a sale to Peabody Energy Corp was derailed last year following a fire at one of the mines.... 

China revives coal-to-gas projects as energy security frays

A high-profile Chinese coal-to-gas venture that lay dormant for over a decade is set to launch this year, as part of a wave of investments that will allow Beijing to mitigate threats to fuel supply...