The loss of Agoa would affect just a small share of the total 10% of SA’s exports to the US...

The rush to decarbonise has created unprecedented demand for battery metals. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has estimated that by 2040 demand for lithium will grow by a factor of 40, as it will for cobalt and nickel....

Earlier this month, China announced new export controls on graphite, a material that is used in batteries, fuel cells, and nuclear reactors. The controls were introduced on “national security” grounds and will require special export permits for three grades of graphite. In 2021, China produced 79.1 percent of the world’s natural graphite, despite only having 22 percent of global reserves....

As we enter the most uncertain period in the Middle East in recent times, it’s probable the worst still lies ahead for human security and energy prices...

Reduce the risks companies face, put tax incentives in place and privatise infrastructure...

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White House is committed to advance trade with and invest in SA...

Full implementation of the AfCTA can generate billions of dollars in welfare gains and millions of jobs...

Continent is the new minerals super region and there is an urgent need to develop it economically...

Malaysia has made international headlines by advancing policy that would restrict the export of unprocessed rare earth elements. This news is only the latest data point in a strengthening global trend. Indonesia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia have advanced similar raw material export bans in recent years. Policymakers need to consider how to position the United States in relation to this pattern....

It has been a rough year for coups and the knock-on effect on minerals has yet to be fully seen...

A real opportunity exists for SA to scale up US investments in manganese production and processing in the country...

The fallout from China’s economic downturn is a risk to the economies with which it has deep trade ties. The combination of slow economic growth, high unemployment, a struggling real estate sector and low household demand in China will have ripple effects for countries that have a high export concentration in hard commodities. SA is particularly exposed — 93% of our exports to China are hard commodities. ...

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa have invited six other countries to join the BRICS grouping next year to create a geopolitical counterweight to the G7 and potentially a framework to reduce dependence on Western financial systems. The expansion of BRICS could have important implications for energy investment and trade, since it brings together large mineral resource holders and major oil producers, as well as some of the fastest growing energy consumers....

In the race to secure critical minerals for the energy transition, the United States is looking abroad to counter the dominance of China. Even if the United States were to dramatically improve prospects for domestic mining, there is no way to meet growing global demand without a larger and more diverse supply chain. That is why the United States has begun to form plurilateral and bilateral partnerships and extended tax credits and subsidies for mineral development in closely allied countries....