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Chilean business magnate Ponce sells stakes in SQM lithium miner
In a Thursday statement, Chilean businessman Julio Ponce announced that he would be leaving several of his firms. The firms also announced a wider restructuring, which aims to consolidate units into fewer companies. These include companies that have significant stakes, for example in the Chilean lithium producer SQM. Ponce announced that he would pass on control of the company to his family. This included his daughter Francisca Ponce who will be advised by Eugenio Ponce. Ponce, the 79-year-old former son-in law of late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, said: "I've decided to announce that i will no longer play a major role in this story." Separately, on Thursday his companies announced their plans to streamline their organization by combining into fewer firms in filings with the South American nation’s stock exchange. Pampa Group is the collective name for Ponce's vast corporate empire. It is a top shareholder in SQM, along with China's Tianqi. According to the country’s market regulator, both hold just under a fifth each of shares. Ponce stated, "I will bequeath control and direction in the professional and patrimonial realms of what comes to my family." (Reporting and writing by Fabian Cambero, Daina Beth Solon; editing by Kyry Madry).
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Even after the EU labeled it strategic, Serbian farmers still oppose Rio Tinto Lithium project
Zlatko Kokoanovic, a Serbian farmer in the Jadar region of Serbia, is determined not to allow Rio Tinto to develop a lithium project. The European Commission has identified it as a strategic project this week, as its goal is to reduce dependency on China's mineral resources. Lithium is an important component of batteries used in electric vehicles and mobile phones. If the mine in Jadar valley is built, it would meet 90% of Europe’s lithium requirements. Kokanovic, like many protesters and farmers who have tried to stop the development of this project over the past few years, is concerned about pollution on farmland, in a place where agriculture is the main source of income for most people. Kokanovic is a father to five children and one of the biggest milk producers in Gornje Needeljice. He's also a prominent activist in the area. He added: "I would like to warn them (Rio Tinto), not to try and develop the mine, or there will unrest." Rio Tinto did not announce a date for the start of the project. The mine is expected to produce around 58,000 tons of lithium carbonate per year. Rio Tinto, however, has committed to developing the mine in a clean manner. Chad Blewitt is Rio Tinto’s managing director of the Jadar Project. He said, "The project will meet the highest standards of transparency, environmental protection, and human rights." "The European Union, and the European Commission, never compromise their high standards. Blewitt told Wednesday that his company was revising its project costs. Rio Tinto’s lithium project is contested by green group for years. In 2022, it sparked a massive protest in Serbia, an EU candidate. Serbian environmentalists collected over 30,000 signatures on a petition in 2021 and 2022 to demand that the parliament pass legislation to stop lithium exploration. Rio Tinto was revoked of all exploration licenses by the government in 2022. The Constitutional Court reversed the decision and reinstated the licences last year. Officials from the government say that the mine will boost Serbian economy. It is not clear how protesters could stop a project which has both domestic and international support. Recent student protests, in which hundreds of thousands of students took to the streets in Serbia and collapsed the government, demonstrate the strength of the civil society of the Balkan nation. Kokanovic remains determined. "My message is to not even attempt (to dig up lithium in Jadar), except they want to topple this government quickly."
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US stocks rise on hope of progress in US China trade talks
Wall Street shook and crude prices jumped Thursday, as investors juggled the new trade talks between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping with a series of disappointing economic data in advance of Friday's important jobs report. In early trading, the three major U.S. indexes were unable to find a direction and ended up modestly higher. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury rates fluctuated and the dollar was weaker. Holding talks According to the summaries provided by the U.S. government and the Chinese government, they spoke with Xi on Thursday to try to resolve the trade dispute between the two world's largest economies. They agreed to continue discussions. Matthew Keator is the managing partner of the Keator Group in Lenox Massachusetts, a wealth-management firm. "I think the market will respond. It's going up and down, as we go through these negotiations. The market gets a clearer picture of how it will look at the end." The latest economic data shows that initial jobless claims have reached their highest level since October. A 16.3% decline in imports, a result of Trump's unpredictable tariff policy, has also led to the narrowest U.S. Trade Gap since November 2023. The Labor Department's May employment report is expected to be released on Friday. However, weaker-than-expected data from the labor market, such as a 47% increase in Challenger layoffs year-over-year and a major surprise in ADP private payrolls have dampened expectations. Keator, however, believes that the Federal Reserve could implement more than one cut in interest rates before the end the year. Keator said that the Fed might be more inclined to cut interest rates more than once in this year, given the recent inflation data and the potential increase in jobless claims. This could be a positive sign for certain sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 9.64 points or 0.02% to 42,437.38, while the S&P 500 gained 6.32 points or 0.11% to 5,977.13; and the Nasdaq Composite increased by 55.96 points or 0.29% to 19,516.24. ECB CUTS RATES As expected, the European Central Bank lowered three of its key interest rates, each by 25 basis points. This decision was based on the updated economic outlook, now that the inflation rate is around the 2% central bank target. European shares have retreated from their earlier gains, even though ECB president Christine Lagarde suggested that the easing cycle could be paused for a few months during the summer. The MSCI index of global stocks rose by 1.83 points or 0.21% to 890.76. The pan-European STOXX 600 Index rose by 0.1% while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 Index rose by 2.28 points or 0.10%. Emerging market stocks gained 10.96 points or 0.93% to 1,183.41. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan closed up by 0.92% to 623.59 while Japan's Nikkei dropped 192.96 or 0.51% to 37,554.49. Dollar reverses earlier gains after soft U.S. economy indicators. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket of currencies, including the yen, and the euro) fell by 0.24%, while the euro rose by 0.43%, reaching $1.1466. The dollar gained 0.42% against the Japanese yen to reach 143.36. The U.S. Treasury yields sawsawed and fluctuated in the choppy market following an unexpected rise in unemployment claims. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10 year notes increased 0.6 basis points from 4.365% at late Wednesday. The 30-year bond rate fell by 1.6 basis points, from 4.888% to 4.8725% late on Wednesday. The yield on the 2-year bond, which is usually in line with expectations of interest rates for the Federal Reserve (Federal Reserve), rose by 1.2 basis points, to 3.891% from 3.877% at late Wednesday. The price of crude oil soared after the Trump/Xi phone call. This helped investors ignore the U.S. buildup in stockpiles and Saudi Arabia’s July price reductions for Asia. U.S. crude climbed 1.48%, to $63.78 per barrel. Brent increased to $65.74 a barrel on the same day. Investors reacted to Friday's employment data by boosting gold prices against the dollar. Spot gold remained flat at $3,375.58 per ounce. U.S. Gold Futures increased 0.1% to $3.376.90 per ounce.
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Minister: Australia is an alternative to critical minerals that is "safe and reliable"
Don Farrell, Australia's trade minister, said that Australia is a reliable alternative for the supply of critical minerals essential to industry. This was in response to growing concerns over Beijing's dominance in this sector. China's decision to suspend the exports of rare earths, magnets and other products crucial for sectors such as aerospace and defence and automakers in April was widely viewed as Beijing using its dominance to leverage its trade war against the Trump administration. Australia is home to some of the world's largest deposits of critical minerals. Farrell said in an interview that he believes he can be a reliable and safe supplier to the global supply chain of critical minerals. He said that Australia did not just want to "dig and send" minerals, but also wanted to process them. This would require outside capital, such as from the European Union (EU), the United States, Japan South Korea, Singapore, and India. Last year, the EU and Australia signed an agreement to work together to develop materials that are critical along the entire supply chain. This includes extraction and refinement as well as processing of leftover waste. Farrell said that critical minerals may end up in the free trade agreement between Australia and the EU, which Australia and the EU are currently trying to revive following the collapse of talks in 2023. The main issue is agriculture. The Australian government sent its top trade officials to Brussels to discuss the next steps as both sides look to access alternative markets, as the Trump administration builds aggressive tariff barriers against its trading partners. Farrell, who met EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sfcovic in Paris on the fringes of an OECCD meeting, said: "I believe there is now an impetus from both sides to consider another crack in the agreement." Farrell met with U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer, at the OECD. He told him that Australia wants the Trump administration's 10% tariffs to be removed and the 50% tariffs for aluminium and steel. According to Greer’s office, the United States, who has had a 20-year free trade agreement, generated a trade surplus of $17,9 billion with Australia last year. (Reporting and editing by David Evans, Leigh Thomas)
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Mali hearings on Barrick's Loulo-Gounkoto Complex suspended have been adjourned until June 12
A Malian judge announced on Thursday that a court had adjourned to June 12 the hearing to determine whether or not to place the Loulo-Gounkoto Gold Mining Complex, which has been suspended since January because of a dispute involving its owner Barrick Mining, and Mali's Government, under temporary administration. The government has requested an administrator to resolve the current standoff. It also signals its desire for the complex to be reopened. The grant of the request would be a significant escalation in a long-running dispute between the West African nation and the Canadian mining company, who suspended operations last January after the authorities seized their gold stock and blocked its exports. Barrick Mining (formerly Barrick Gold) has stated that operations will only resume once the Malian government lifts the November restrictions on gold exports. The Malian government, as a shareholder of the complex, asked the Bamako Commercial Court last month to appoint an interim administrator to run the mines. Barrick and the military government have been at odds over the implementation a new code of mining that increases taxes and gives government a larger share in gold mines since 2023. According to two sources close to the negotiations, the parties continue to negotiate outside of court. Barrick has also filed an international arbitration against Mali in the dispute. On April 22, gold prices reached a new record of $3,500.05 an ounce. (Reporting and writing by Portia CROWE; editing by Alexandra Hudson, Jan Harvey, and Jan Harvey.
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Trump and Xi have agreed to continue talks to resolve trade disputes
According to summaries from the U.S. government and China, the two leaders agreed to continue talks to resolve differences over tariffs which have roiled global economies. Trump posted on Twitter that there should be no more questions about the complexity of Rare Earth Products. Our respective teams will meet shortly at a place to be determined. Trump's summary of the meeting and that of the Chinese government said the leaders invited each other back to their countries at a later date. The Chinese government stated in a press release published by the official Xinhua agency that the U.S. should be realistic about the progress China has made and remove the negative measures imposed upon it. "Xi Jinping welcomed Trump’s return to China, and Trump expressed gratitude." The call was highly anticipated, coming amid recent accusations made by Washington and Beijing over "rare-earth minerals" in a dispute which has threatened to tear apart a fragile truce between the two largest economies. On May 12, the two countries reached a 90-day agreement to reverse some of their triple-digit, tit for tat tariffs that they had imposed on each other after Trump's inauguration in January. Although stocks rose, the temporary agreement did not address the broader concerns that strain bilateral relations, from the illicit trade in fentanyl to the status for Taiwan, a democratically-governed island, and U.S. complaints against China's export-driven, state-dominated economic model. Trump, since returning to the White House, has threatened a variety of punitive actions against trading partners. However, he has retracted some of these measures at the last moment. This on-again-off-again strategy has confused world leaders, and scared business executives who claim that the uncertainty makes it hard to predict market conditions. China's decision to suspend the export of magnets and minerals in April continues to cause supply disruptions for automakers, computer chip makers and military contractors worldwide. Beijing views mineral exports in the United States as a way to exert political pressure. If economic growth slows down because companies are unable to produce products powered by minerals, this could lead to domestic political pressure being placed on President Donald Trump. The 90-day agreement to reduce tariffs and trade barriers is fragile. Trump accused China of breaking the agreement, and ordered curbs on chip-design software and other shipments going to China. He also doubled steel and aluminum tariffs up to 50%. Beijing has denied the claim and threatened countermeasures. The United States has been identifying China as their top geopolitical competitor and the only nation in the world capable of challenging the U.S. militarily and economically. Despite repeated trade threats and announcements of tariffs, Trump has expressed admiration for Xi. He has praised his toughness, and the ability of the Chinese president to remain in power, without the term limitations imposed on U.S. Presidents. Trump has been pushing for a phone call or a face-to-face meeting with Xi but China has rejected this as it is not in line with their traditional approach to working out details of an agreement before leaders speak. Leader-to-leader discussions are vital for the U.S. President and his advisers to break through the logjams in negotiations that have frustrated lower-level officials. China reported that Trump requested the call. The last time the two men spoke is not known. Both sides claimed they spoke on January 17, just days before Trump took office. Trump has said repeatedly that he has spoken to Xi ever since assuming office on January 20. He refused to reveal the date or details of any conversation. China claimed that the two leaders have not spoken recently. Investors are closely watching the talks, as they fear that a chaotic war of trade could disrupt supply chains and cut into earnings for corporations in the months leading up to the holiday shopping season. Trump's tariffs have also been the subject of litigation in U.S. courtrooms. Trump and Xi have met on several occasions including during exchange visits in 2017. However, they haven't met in person since the 2019 Osaka, Japan talks. Xi's last trip to the U.S. was in November 2023 for a summit, which resulted in an agreement to resume military to military communications and to curb fentanyl. Reporting by Xiuhao Zhang, Yukun Zhu and Ryan Woo from Beijing; Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom and Franklin Paul in Washington; and editing by Philippa, Chizu, and Franklin Paul.
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Silver hits 13-year-high as gold pares gains after Xi and Trump call signals thaw of tensions
Gold, the safe-haven asset, trimmed its gains after a reported telephone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping ad U.S. president Donald Trump indicated a possible easing of trade frictions. Silver also broke through $35 to reach a new 13-year-high. As of 10:22 am, spot gold was up 0.1% to $3,377.29 per ounce. ET (1422 GMT), after earlier trading at 0.6% higher. U.S. Gold futures rose 0.1% to $3401.10. Chinese state media reported Xi had spoken with Trump on the phone Thursday. The call was made amid increasing tensions over vital minerals that threaten an already fragile trading truce. Daniel Ghali is a commodity strategist with TD Securities. He said that Trump will put a positive spin to the conversation with President Xi. This will reduce the risks of upcoming decoupling between China and the U.S. This year, gold, which is a good investment in times of economic and political uncertainty, gained 29%. Metals Focus reported that central banks around the world are planning to purchase 1,000 metric tonnes of gold by 2025. This will be their fourth consecutive year of large purchases, as they move away from dollar-denominated assets. Data showed that weekly unemployment claims had increased for the second week in a row, signaling an eroding labor market. Now, all eyes are on Friday's nonfarm payrolls data. Trump renewed his call for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday to reduce rates. Ricardo Evangelista is a senior analyst with brokerage firm ActivTrades. He said: "I believe that a weakening of the U.S. labour market will increase bets for a dovish Fed (which) would have a positive effect on gold." In an environment with low interest rates, zero-yield gold bullion is more likely to flourish. Silver spot jumped by 2.5%, to $35.84 an ounce. This is the highest price since February 2012. Gold-silver is currently at 94. This is down from 105. Tai Wong said that silver could really gallop in both directions. Palladium rose 0.1% to $1,009.40, while platinum rose 5%, reaching its highest level since the March 2022.
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Siemens Energy replaces the 11 billion euro government-backed financing facility
Siemens Energy announced on Thursday that it has replaced the 11 billion euro (12,6 billion dollars) government-backed financing facility put in place to stabilize the power equipment manufacturer in 2023. This is a crucial step in restoring its ability to pay out dividends. After major quality problems at Siemens Energy's wind turbine business, the government was forced to guarantee billions of Euros worth of projects in late 2023. Maria Ferraro, Chief Financial Officer at Siemens Energy, said that the federal government's "counter-guarantee" was crucial in 2023 to ensure our expected growth. The suspension of dividends at Siemens Energy was one of the conditions for the facility. Ferraro stated that "due to our performance over the last two years, and the positive environment in which we operate, we were able improve our margins and cash flow as well as strengthen our balance sheet." This allowed us to replace the building before the end our fiscal year, and fulfill our commitment. Last month, Siemens Energy's Chief Executive Christian Bruch said that the company would resume dividend payments in 2026 if the government facility was replaced. Reporting by Christoph Steitz Editing Madeleine Chambers
BlackRock is removed from Texas' boycott list following its withdrawal from climate groups
Texas removed BlackRock on Tuesday from a list that was seen as boycotting energy companies. The New York asset manager only won this step after it drastically reduced its climate goals.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar stated that the decision was a reflection of BlackRock's withdrawal from climate-related industry groups such as the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative. Hegar also pointed out that the firm had lowered its support of shareholder environmental resolutions, and supported a new Texas Stock Exchange.
BlackRock has "acknowledged the real social costs and economic costs that are incurred by limiting investments in the oil and natural gas industry, both in Texas and worldwide," Hegar stated in a press release.
Delisting will allow Texas state agencies, funds and other entities to easily do business with BlackRock. This could help BlackRock respond to claims made by Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton regarding its environmental record.
BlackRock's representatives have not yet commented.
Hegar added BlackRock, and a number of European managers, to his list by 2022, under a law passed in the state the year before in response to Wall Street’s embrace at that time of environmental and social investments priorities.
Faced with political pressure, BlackRock's rivals also quit industry climate groups, and reduced their support for shareholder proposals that called for change, such as emission limits or cuts. Climate activists and Democratic leaders have accused companies of lowering their standards in terms of environmental support. (Reporting and editing by Lisa Shumaker; Ross Kerber)
(source: Reuters)