Five years on, the economic impact of Covid-19 lingers

Five years after the World Health Organization first described the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic, its effects are still being felt on the global economy. Covid-19 and efforts to... 

Mali partially lifts suspension on issuance of mining permits

Mali will partially lift a 2022 suspension on the issuance of mining permits on March 15, the mines ministry said in a statement on Friday. The military-led West African country, one of Africa's... 

Barrick says 'committed to reaching a mutually beneficial resolution' in Mali

Barrick Gold remains "fully engaged and committed to reaching a mutually beneficial resolution" with Mali to end a dispute over its assets there, its chief operating officer for Africa and the... 

US open to minerals partnerships with the DRC

The US is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo, the State Department said in a statement to Reuters on Sunday, after a Congolese senator contacted US officials to pitch a... 

China's coal imports nudge up to record, but risks to outlook rise

China's coal imports rose 2.1% year-on-year to a record high for the January-February period, official data showed on Friday, as arbitrage opportunities remained open, but risks grew for imports in... 

South Africa records 16% drop in rhino poaching last year

South Africa recorded a roughly 16% drop in rhino poaching last year, with 420 animals killed for their horns versus 499 the previous year, the government said on Thursday. The country is home to... 

Germany’s lithium reserves could sustain domestic needs for decades, study finds

Germany could have enough lithium reserves to cover its domestic needs for several decades, a study showed on Thursday, as Berlin seeks to boost its electric vehicle production and cut dependency... 

Freeport Indonesia may get around 1Mt copper concentrate export quota

Copper miner Freeport Indonesia may get an export quota for around one-million metric tons of copper concentrate, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia told reporters on Friday.... 

China January-February iron-ore imports hit by Australia weather-related disruptions

China's iron-ore imports in the first two months of 2025 fell by 8.4% from the same period a year earlier, curbed by weather-related supply disruption in major producer Australia. The world's... 

South African health agency calls for coal-fired power station phase-out

An influential South African government agency recommended the country phase out coal-fired power stations on Thursday as it published a ten-year study which found that people living near them were... 

Morocco approves green hydrogen projects worth $32.5bn

A Moroccan government committee on Thursday approved green hydrogen projects aiming to produce ammonia, steel and industrial fuel worth a total of 319-billion dirhams ($32.5-billion). The Moroccan... 

US Treasury's Bessent outlines plans to reshape global trade, ease bank regulations

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday laid out the Trump administration's ambitions to reshape international trade relations withtariffs, roll back financial regulations on American... 

Trump's tariffs drive US physical market aluminium premiums to record high

Price premiums for aluminium on the physical market in the United States have surged to a record high due to the looming threat of tariffs on imports of the metal used in the transport,... 

Canada muses about oil and gas exports as lever in tariffs dispute, also mentions potash

The United States is withdrawing from the Just Energy Transition Partnership, a collaboration between richer nations to help developing countries transition from coal to cleaner energy, several... 

Tunisia aims to raise phosphate output to 14m metric tons in 2030

Tunisia aims to raise phosphate production about five-fold to 14-million metric tons in 2030, the government said on Wednesday, part of a plan which seeks to restore the vital sector to help... 

India fertiliser company in talks to buy phosphate from Togo, sources say

India's Fertilisers And Chemicals Travancore is in talks to sign a three-year contract to buy rock phosphate from Togo, to widen its supply sources, three people with direct knowledge of the matter... 

Mali suspends artisanal mine permits for foreigners after accidents

Mali is suspending the granting of new artisanal mining permits to foreigners, after a couple of accidents in recent weeks left dozens dead. The collapse on February 15 of an artisanal gold mine... 

Russia's Polyus reports record EBITDA on high gold prices

Russia's largest gold producer Polyus on Wednesday reported record production and core earnings for 2024 thanks to high gold prices in spite of Western sanctions on Russia and the company. Gold... 

South Africa's business downturn eases in February, S&P PMI shows

Business activity in South Africa continued to weaken in February, but the pace of contraction slowed compared with the start of the year, a survey showed on Wednesday. The S&P Global South Africa... 

Chile's SQM reports about 41% drop in profit on lower lithium prices

Chile's SQM, the world's second-largest lithium producer, reported a 40.9% fall in fourth-quarter net profit on Wednesday, as higher sales volumes failed to offset a sharp decline in lithium... 

US, Ukraine now plan to sign minerals deal, sources say

US President Donald Trump's administration and Ukraine plan to sign a minerals deal that fell through after a disastrous Oval Office meeting Friday in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy... 

Palliser welcomes Rio Tinto's decision to seek Australian shareholder vote on dual listing

London-based hedge fund Palliser Capital on Tuesday welcomed Rio Tinto's decision to allow the company's Australian shareholders to vote on a resolution that seeks an independent review of its... 

Teck plans to sell to Asia to avoid US tariffs

Canadian miner Teck has been developing plans to sell zinc to Asia instead of the US to circumvent tariffs from President Donald Trump's administration on Canadian imports, CEO Jonathan Price on... 

South African watchdog probes Novo Nordisk and Sanofi over insulin

South Africa's competition watchdog is investigating drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Sanofi over possible anti-competitive practices in the human insulin pen market, the authority said on Tuesday. "We... 

Uganda signs maiden production sharing deal to revive copper mine

Uganda has signed its first mining production sharing agreement (PSA) to redevelop a mothballed copper and cobalt mine in the country's west, near its border with Democratic Republic of Congo, it... 

Canada to extend mineral exploration tax credit for two more years, Minister says

Canada will extend a tax credit on mineral exploration for two additional years as part of the government's move to support investment in exploration projects, energy, and natural resources,... 

Rio Tinto resumes operations at Western Australia's Dampier port after five weeks

Rio Tinto said on Monday that its iron ore export facility in Western Australia's Dampier port resumed operations after being offline for over five weeks due to flooding from tropical cyclones. "A... 

China national coal association proposes import, production controls

China's national coal association on Friday issued a statement to members proposing controls on coal production and imports of low-calorie, low-quality coal amid weak demand and high inventories.... 

Alrosa reports full-year profit slump of 77.3%

Russia's sanctions-hit diamond producer Alrosa on Friday reported a 77.3% fall in 2024 net profit year-on-year to 19.3-billion roubles ($219.32-million) on revenue of 239.1-billion roubles. Group... 

Alberta projects C$5.2bn budget deficit if Trump tariffs proceed

Canada's oil-producing province of Alberta on Thursday forecast a budget deficit of C$5.2-billion ($3.5-billion) for the 2025/26 fiscal year if US tariffs are implemented and decrease government... 

Mosaic misses fourth-quarter profit estimates on lower sales, prices

Fertiliser producer Mosaic missed Wall Street expectations for fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, hurt by lower potash prices and sales. Crop prices, including those of soybean, wheat and corn,... 

Paris prosecutor drops case against Apple over Congo minerals, document shows

French prosecutors have closed a case filed by Democratic Republic of Congo accusing Apple subsidiaries of using conflict minerals in its supply chain, according to a document seen by Reuters on... 

G20 finance meeting ends without consensus or communique

South Africa voiced dismay on Thursday that Group of 20 talks it hosted on global economic issues ended without consensus, after top officials from several countries skipped it and delegates... 

Trump's 'very big' minerals deal may pay off with US Republicans

A critical minerals deal Donald Trump has negotiated with Ukraine could ease tensions between Kyiv and the US President and at the same time win back support from his Republicans in Congress for a... 

Rio Tinto-buyout target Arcadium Lithium posts loss on falling lithium prices

Arcadium Lithium posted a loss in the fourth quarter on Thursday, as low prices of lithium, used to power electric vehicle batteries, weighed on the company. Lithium prices have plunged more than... 

Impala could close Canadian palladium mine early after price rout

Impala Platinum (Implats) could wind down its palladium mine in Canada earlier than planned if there is no immediate recovery in metal prices, CEO Nico Muller said after a 43% slump in first-half... 

India exploring critical minerals in Zambia, Congo and Australia, official says

India is exploring mining of critical minerals in Zambia, Congo and Australia, Mines Secretary VL Kantha Rao said on Thursday, as the world's fastest-growing major economy aims to secure raw... 

GFG Alliance looks to raise capital for Australia coal mine

GFG Alliance, owned by embattled commodities tycoon Sanjeev Gupta, is looking to raise capital for development of a coking coal mine in Australia where its steelworks was last week put into... 

Workers seek collective bargaining at Rio Tinto Pilbara mine

Australia's Mining and Energy Union said on Thursday it would launch a petition at Rio Tinto's Paraburdoo mine in the Pilbara region that would allow workers to initiate bargaining for a collective... 

Panama delays Cobre Panama copper mine decision pending social security reform

Panama President Jose Mulino will only take a decision regarding the future of the Cobre Panama mine after he resolves the issue of the country's social security policy, a supplier of the Cobre...