Mining

Newmont CEO Tom Palmer Outlines Portfolio Shift, Capital Focus in Final Interview

Dec 17, 2025 - 1:25 PM

Europe trawls for alternative aluminum supply in face of Mozal shutdown

A smelter shutdown in Mozambique is set to dent global aluminum supplies next year, analysts say, leaving the plant’s core European Union customers searching for alternatives.South32 confirmed on Tuesday that the 560,000-metric-ton-per-year-capacity Mozal smelter would be placed on care and maintenance from mid-March, after talks with utilities and Mozambique’s government failed to yield a new power deal.

Dec 17, 2025 - 1:20 PM

Swift Anglo-Teck merger approval shows Canada’s pro-business shift, dealmakers say

Canada’s swift approval of the $53 billion merger between British miner Anglo American and Canada’s Teck Resources signals a push to attract investment to offset the impact of US tariffs, dealmakers told Reuters.Late Monday night, Melanie Joly, Canada’s Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Minister, said that Canada has approved the all-share buyout of Teck Resources by Anglo American under the Investment Canada Act, clearing a regulatory hurdle to create a global copper heavyweight.

Dec 17, 2025 - 1:08 PM

Lithium prices surges in China after local authorities announce plan to revoke mining licences

Lithium prices in China surged on Wednesday after the natural resource authority of the country’s main lithium-producing hub said it would revoke 27 mining licences.The most-active lithium carbonate contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange jumped to 109,860 yuan ($15,592.27) a metric ton, its highest since June 2024, earlier in the session, before ending the day up 7.61% at 108,620 yuan.

Dec 17, 2025 - 12:42 PM

Zimbabwe scraps gold royalty hike, sets higher threshold for windfall tax

Zimbabwe has reversed plans to double its gold royalty rate to 10%, a new 2026 budget bill showed on Wednesday, following protests by miners and industry groups.A royalty rate of 5% would continue to apply for gold prices between $1,200 and $5,000 per ounce, according to the revised budget bill, which was approved by Zimbabwe’s lower parliament chamber in the early hours of Wednesday following lengthy debate.In his budget speech last month, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube had proposed doubling the gold royalty rate to 10% for gold sold above $2,501 an ounce.

Dec 17, 2025 - 12:38 PM

Gold and uranium boost Namibia’s tax revenue after diamond prices plunge

Namibia’s diamond revenue has been surpassed by income from other minerals for the first time, the country’s mining chamber said, with record gold prices and higher uranium output helping to offset the impact of weak gem prices.Diamond income has traditionally boosted Namibia’s state coffers, accounting for about 30% of export earnings. But the natural diamond industry has faced a price decline since mid-2022, largely owing to growing popularity of lab-grown gems.

Dec 17, 2025 - 12:34 PM

Korea Zinc’s plan to build US smelter would benefit South Korea, minister says

South Korea’s industry minister said on Wednesday that Korea Zinc’s plan to build a US smelter would help develop supply chains for critical minerals and added that Seoul could discuss whether the plan might receive support from a US investment fund.Korea Zinc on Monday unveiled a plan to build a $7.4 billion critical minerals refinery in Tennessee that will be funded largely by Washington.“We see it as a positive move for Korea Zinc to make this strategic decision despite the financial burden,” Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan told a press conference.

Dec 17, 2025 - 12:28 PM

Global lithium prices spike but remain below 2024 average, says Cochilco

Global lithium carbonate prices have risen significantly in recent weeks due to increased uncertainty over supplies and an improved outlook for future demand, though they remain below last year’s average, Chilean state agency Cochilco said in a report on Wednesday.On December 10, the value reached $10,500/ton, equivalent to a 13% increase compared to the price at the end of October.The average price to date is $9,306/ton, 24% lower than the $12,296 registered in 2024.

Dec 17, 2025 - 12:02 PM

Gold at $5,000 in 2026 is just the beginning: why one fund manager says the real opportunity lies in miners

(Kitco News) - Gold’s unprecedented 65% price surge this year has caught many investors and analysts off guard. And while the precious metal may look expensive, with prices holding new support above $4,300 an ounce, one portfolio manager still sees plenty of value in the marketplace in 2026.

Dec 17, 2025 - 10:22 AM

Korea Zinc shareholders ask court to block share sale in $7.4B US project

Two major Korea Zinc shareholders asked a court on Tuesday to block the company’s plan to sell new shares – part of a scheme to help fund a $7.4 billion US smelter, which would be built in partnership with the US government.The filing for an injunction with the Seoul Central District Court threw doubt over the project and sent shares in the world’s largest zinc smelting company plummeting 14%.

Dec 16, 2025 - 4:25 PM

South32 to mothball Mozambique smelter in March as power talks collapse

Australia’s South32 said on Tuesday it will place the Mozal aluminum smelter in Mozambique under care and maintenance by March, incurring a $60 million one-off cost, after failing to secure a power deal with the government.Negotiations between the Perth-based firm and Mozambique’s government and power suppliers have been going on for several years to reach an agreement for the smelter’s energy-intensive operations.

Dec 16, 2025 - 4:23 PM

Pan Pacific Copper sells stake in Peruvian mine to Glencore

Japan’s JX Advanced Metals on Tuesday said its Pan Pacific Copper (PPC) unit sold its entire stake in the undeveloped Quechua copper project in Peru to Swiss trader and miner Glencore for an undisclosed sum.The sale is part of JX’s effort to reorient its portfolio toward its advanced materials business and away from its more volatile mining operations, while giving Glencore a key new project in the Andean nation.

Dec 16, 2025 - 2:28 PM

Chinese court sentences 27 people for smuggling antimony ingots

A Chinese court imposed jail sentences and fines on Tuesday on 27 people for shipping antimony ingots out of the country without export licences, in a ruling that highlights how China is tightening enforcement of its controls on strategic minerals.China is the world’s largest producer of antimony, which is used in batteries, chips, flame retardants and the defence sector. Beijing added antinomy to its export control list in September 2024.

Dec 16, 2025 - 2:27 PM

Ivory Coast miners start paying higher royalties after failed resistance

Gold mining companies in Ivory Coast have begun paying a new 8% royalty on revenue, backdated to January, after months of disputing the legality of the levy, three industry sources told Reuters.Reuters previously reported that the world’s top cocoa producer, which is seeking to diversify its economy, replaced the previous 3% to 6% range linked to contract terms with the flat 8% rate.

Dec 16, 2025 - 2:25 PM

Guinea, EGA in bauxite supply deal talks

Guinea is in talks with Emirates Global Aluminium over a possible bauxite supply agreement that would see the company source the aluminum feedstock from Guinea’s state-owned Nimba Mining, three people familiar with the matter said.Guinea’s military-led government revoked the licence of EGA subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation in July following a year-long dispute over the construction of an alumina refinery. It then handed its mining assets over to Nimba Mining.

Dec 16, 2025 - 2:20 PM

Mining

Antofagasta agrees zero copper processing charges for 2026 with Chinese smelter

Perfect storm of factors propels silver price to record high

Gold price to glitter again next year despite biggest gain since 1979

Swiss gold exports drop in November as shipments to India plunge

Mass layoffs overshadow Guinea’s Simandou mega mine as output accelerates

Newmont CEO Tom Palmer Outlines Portfolio Shift, Capital Focus in Final Interview

Europe trawls for alternative aluminum supply in face of Mozal shutdown

Swift Anglo-Teck merger approval shows Canada’s pro-business shift, dealmakers say

Lithium prices surges in China after local authorities announce plan to revoke mining licences

Zimbabwe scraps gold royalty hike, sets higher threshold for windfall tax

Gold and uranium boost Namibia’s tax revenue after diamond prices plunge

Korea Zinc’s plan to build US smelter would benefit South Korea, minister says

Global lithium prices spike but remain below 2024 average, says Cochilco

Gold at $5,000 in 2026 is just the beginning: why one fund manager says the real opportunity lies in miners

Korea Zinc shareholders ask court to block share sale in $7.4B US project

South32 to mothball Mozambique smelter in March as power talks collapse

Pan Pacific Copper sells stake in Peruvian mine to Glencore

Chinese court sentences 27 people for smuggling antimony ingots

Ivory Coast miners start paying higher royalties after failed resistance

Guinea, EGA in bauxite supply deal talks