Indonesia quota talk triggers nickel reality check
Nickel surged early this month on fresh speculation that Indonesia may tighten ore-production quotas this year, but not everyone is convinced the rally has legs – or that it will…
Asia
China-Japan rare earth spat curbs exports
China’s threats this week to restrict rare earths exports to Japan could harm the Japanese economy and manufacturers, which heavily depend on China for supplies of the critical minerals. China’s…
AI to boost copper demand 50% by 2040: S&P
A rapid and exponential growth in artificial intelligence (AI), defence spending and robotics will lift global copper demand by 50% by 2040, leaving a supply shortfall of more than 10…
Nickel spikes on Indonesia quota risk
Nickel extended its rally on Wednesday after reports of deep mining-quota cuts this year in Indonesia tightened supply expectations. The London Metals Exchange (LME) three-month contract traded around $18,460 (about…
Banks remain bullish on gold above $4,500
After delivering its best annual performance since 1979, gold is drawing fresh bullish calls from major banks as conditions line up for fresh record highs. In a note published on…
Mineral, metal prices to edge higher: Fitch’s BMI
Most mineral and metal prices are expected to increase slightly this year as robust demand and tighter supply combine with declining tariff uncertainties, according to BMI, a unit of Fitch…
Gold jumps after Venezuela president captured
Gold advanced nearly 3% on heightened geopolitical tensions following the capture of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro by United States special operations forces. Spot gold hit a one-week high of $4,455.42…
Diamond slump deepens in 2025 as lab-grown bites
The diamond industry is now shifting from growth to triage, with survival tied less to geology and more to branding.
The Northern Miner’s most read stories of 2025
The Northern Miner’s 110th year showed continued leading coverage of the industry, with the new Canadian Treasure Hunt boosting readership and periodic delves into the archives adding context to daily…
Megamines: 10 most expensive bulk projects
With public and government attention shifting to critical minerals, energy transition metals and specialty commodities, and retail investors all-in on rampant gold and silver, here’s a reminder of where the…
TNM Editorial: Banner year
If it hasn’t been clear since “critical minerals” entered the popular lexicon in 2022, it sure is now: we’re living in one of the greatest periods to be part of…
Japan to test mining rare earths from deep seabed mud
Japan will conduct a month-long test to extract rare-earth-rich mud from the deep seabed near the remote Minamitorishima Island, marking a first-of-its-kind effort to continuously lift material from about 6,000…