Mining

Gold prices fell on Wednesday after a record-breaking surge that saw them surpass the $4,500 an ounce barrier earlier in the session. Silver and platinum also saw some of their gains trimmed. At 01:57 pm, spot gold was down by 0.2% to $4,479.38 an ounce. ET (18:57 GMT), following a session high of $4,525.18. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery settled 0.1% lower at $4,502.8. Jim Wyckoff, Kitco Metals' senior analyst, said that the gold market was experiencing some chart consolidation as well as a mild profit-taking following record highs. Gold is a good investment in low interest rate environments....

Gold prices fell on Wednesday as they took a breather after soaring past the $4,500 an ounce mark in the earlier part of?the day, while silver and platinum pared some gains from their record-breaking rally. At 10:04 am, spot gold was down by 0.4% to $4,468.96 an ounce. The session began with a high of $4,525.18. This was followed by a low of $4,425.18 at 1504 GMT. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery fell by 0.2% to $4,497.90. Jim Wyckoff, Kitco Metals' senior analyst, said that the gold market was experiencing some chart consolidation as well as a mild profit-taking...

Northern Indiana Public Service Company announced on Wednesday that it had?received an order from the federal government requiring continued operation of R.M. Schahfer generation station will continue to operate 'well beyond?its December 31, 2025 retirement date. The firm said that the order requires the Indiana-based facility to remain open for a period of 90 days following the date of?order. The directive is coming as several U.S. utilities are delaying coal plant retirements in order to meet the 'rising demand for power,' driven by data centers and rising natural gas prices, which have led to a re-focus on coal generation. Donald...

Export Finance Australia has sent a non-binding support letter to Latrobe Magnesium, Australia. The letter could be used to fund the construction of a magnesium plant in Victoria. The U.S. will provide support for the development of stage 2 of the commercial magnesia extraction facility as part of a deal with Australia that aims to counter China's dominance of the minerals industry. Magnesium, which is used to produce steel and titanium in China, is the world’s largest producer. Construction of the 'plant, which will process up to 10,000 tons of magnesium each year, is estimated to cost approximately A$250,000,000 ($166.70...

The Trump administration rolled back protections on Monday for the greater Sage-grouse in 8 western states of?U.S. The Trump administration has opened up more federal land for energy and mineral development. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said that proposed changes would allow more development space than was allowed in 2015 plans while still protecting some important habitats for endangered birds across 65 million acres of sagebrush land. The agency said that the changes made to sage grouse protections are in accordance with two executive orders signed by Donald Trump earlier this year, which were intended to unleash U.S. production...

Stocks of cannabis companies rose Thursday following a?U.S. The U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to loosen federal regulations on marijuana, the largest shift in marijuana laws since 1970. The decision to reclassify marijuana as a less harmful drug does not legalize it, but rather improves the operating environment for businesses by improving capital access, reducing taxes and accelerating research and development. In afternoon trading, U.S. listed shares of Tilray rose over 6%. Aurora Cannabis?rose almost 9%. SNDL rose 6%. And Canopy Growth gained close to 12%. According to senior administration officials, Trump's order "directs" his attorney general to...

According to a?memo from the company,?Barrick Mining of Canada has retaken operational control over its?Mali mine. Sebastiaan Bok, Director of Operations in Africa and the Middle East, sent a memo stating that Barrick would resume production gradually, and focus on mandatory training to employees and contractors. After two years of negotiation, the two sides reached an agreement to settle their dispute regarding Barrick's operations in West Africa. Barrick's disagreement with the military-led government over a new mining code led to a suspension of operations at its gold mine complex in January. A provisional administrator appointed by a Mali court took...

Canada's main index of stocks gained on Thursday after a U.S. inflation report that was lower than expected boosted expectations about Federal Reserve rate cuts. By 10:06 a.m., the?S&P/TSX composite index had risen 1% to '31,567.25?points. ET, after four consecutive days of modest losses. Cannabis companies Curaleaf Canopy Growth and Tilray have jumped between 2% and 21.5%. This is a continuation of their recent rally fueled by the expectation that U.S. president Donald Trump will sign an executive directive easing federal marijuana regulations. After Micron Technology's optimistic forecast, the technology index led gains in all Canadian sectors. The data showed...

Stocks of cannabis companies rose on Thursday in premarket trading, fueled by expectations that U.S. president Donald Trump will sign an executive order easing federal regulations on marijuana. The debate about marijuana regulation is dominated by calls to reclassify marijuana as a safer drug. This would be the "most significant" change in marijuana policy ever since 1970. This reclassification would not legalize marijuana, but it could reduce tax burdens on firms, speed up research, allow for standard drug development, and improve access to capital. Tilray shares listed in the U.S. gained?nearly 5%. SNDL rose 3%. Canopy grew more than 5%....

Silver's inclusion on the U.S. Critical Minerals?list and a wave momentum buying has propelled it to a new record high. Prices are expected to end 2025 more than twice where they started. Silver has gained over 120% in the past year, and according to LSEG's data dating back to 1982, is on track for its best-ever annual performance. The metal is beating safe-haven, gold which is expected to rise 64% by 2025. On Wednesday, spot prices reached a new record high of $66.87/oz. The current rally is largely driven by investment. The rally has a strong fundamental basis, but these...

The world is blind to the horrors of Sudan DRC is hellscape for women Twelve crises that are often overlooked by the public Emma Batha Experts warn that aid operations are in danger of collapsing and two cities are on the brink of famine. Abdurahman Sharif, director of Save the Children's humanitarian department, said that the Sudan crisis should dominate the front pages of the newspaper every day. "Children live a nightmare in plain view, but the world continues to look away shamefully." The Democratic Republic of Congo, widely regarded as the deadliest war since World War Two is ranked...

The?mining?chamber of Namibia said that for the first time in history, Namibia's diamond revenues were exceeded by other minerals. Record gold prices and increased uranium production helped to offset the effect?of low gem?prices. Namibia has always relied on diamond income to boost its state coffers. It accounts for around 30% of Namibia's export earnings. The natural diamond industry has seen a decline in prices since mid-2022. This is mainly due to the growing popularity of laboratory-grown gems. According to the tax collector, the revenue generated by diamonds fell 79% from the previous year in the six-month period ending September. In...

The prices of Dalian Iron Ore Futures rose for the?second straight session on Thursday as Beijing relaxed its restrictions on domestic?buying. The day-traded price of the most traded?iron ore? contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange closed 0.58% higher, at 778.5 Yuan ($111.10) per metric ton. Singapore's market will be closed on Christmas Day, Thursday. Beijing's municipal officials further relaxed curbs on home purchase on Wednesday, lowering the qualification thresholds for home buyers, as part of the latest effort to?boost the demand amid the worsening prices of homes in the Chinese capital. Chinese officials pledged earlier this week that they would...

The prices of Dalian Iron Ore Futures rose for the second consecutive session on Thursday, as further relaxations in Beijing on home purchases boosted sentiment. As of 0251 GMT, the most-traded contract for iron ore on?China's Dalian Commodity Exchange(DCE) increased 0.26% to $776 yuan (US$110.76) per metric ton. Singapore's market will be closed on Christmas Day, Thursday. Beijing's municipal officials further relaxed curbs on home purchase on Wednesday by lowering the threshold of home-buying qualification, in their latest effort to boost demand amid worsening prices for homes in the Chinese capital. This came after Chinese officials?promised earlier this week to...

Dalian iron ore finished higher on Wednesday, after a?session of directionless trading. China's plans for stabilising its?property?sector outweighed the pressure from a drop in global crude steel production. The May contract for iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange closed the day trading 0.26% higher, at 779.5 Yuan ($111.07). The benchmark January Iron Ore at the Singapore Exchange finished 0.11% lower, at $104.25 per ton. China announced on Tuesday that it would 'intensify urban renewal efforts and stabilize its property market by 2026, at the start of its latest 5-year plan (2026-2030), in order to increase the supply of affordable...

The price of iron ore futures fell on Wednesday due to a drop in crude steel production around the world. As of 0241 GMT, the most-traded May iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange was?0.32% less expensive. It traded for 775 yuan (US$110.29) per metric ton. The benchmark January Iron Ore at the Singapore Exchange fell 0.55% to $103.8 per ton. The World Steel Association reported that global crude steel production fell by 4.6% in November compared to the same month last year, to 140.1 millions tons. Meanwhile, China, the world's largest producer and consumer, saw its output drop...

The government-backed project's head announced on Tuesday that Japan will test mine rare-earth rich mud off Minamitori Island in the deep oceanbed, 1,900 km (1,180 mi) southeast of Tokyo. This will be the first time in history that rare-earth mud has been continuously lifted from a depth around 6,000 metres onto a vessel. Tokyo and its Western allies are seeking stable supplies of vital minerals as China, the world's largest supplier of rare-earth minerals, tightens up export controls. Shoichi Ishii is the program director for the Cabinet Office’s national platform?for innovative ocean development. He told reporters that one of their?missions...

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said that the?weak?demand in the construction and manufacturing sector will cause Japan's crude steel production to?fall 1.7% during the first three months of 2026. Forecasts show that the third largest steel producer in the world will have a 'annual output' of 80.33 millions metric tons for the fiscal year which ends March 31, down 3.2% compared to a year earlier. This is the lowest production since fiscal 1968 when crude?output rose during Japan's high growth era. Manabu Naboshima, Director of METI's Metal Industries Division, said at a "news conference" that Japan's 'crude steel'...

The lowering of iron ore futures on Tuesday was a result of steel mills performing annual furnace maintenance, and rising Chinese port inventories. The May contract for iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange traded 0.26% less at 778.5 Yuan ($110.77). As of 0700 GMT, the benchmark January iron ore was trading 0.39% lower on Singapore Exchange at $104.35 per ton. The benchmark is unlikely to 'break $100,' a Singaporean trader told us under condition of anonymity. This is due to the fact that there has been no winter stocking, which indicates a weak demand. The trader said that most...

In 2025, precious metals outperformed all other "safe haven" investment options. This is remarkable, especially in an year that was marked by turmoil, conflict and artificial intelligence bubble concerns. The market landscape for this year was shaped by a number of factors: a booming economy, politicians pushing for easy money, fading recession fears, an AI frenzy, and rising geopolitical tensions. Precious Metals outperformed almost everything else. Silver and platinum have more than doubled and gold has risen over 60%. This is its biggest jump since 1979's oil crisis. This performance was far superior to the roughly 20% gain in global...

An industry association backed by the Chinese government said that on Tuesday, the tin sector had been hit by the "unreasonable",?price rise and urged investors to avoid excessive?speculative trade. Tin prices are at their highest "levels" in 44 months, following a wave supply disruptions. The material is used to solder circuit boards for mobile phones and electric cars. The China Nonferrous Metals Association's tin branch posted a statement to its WeChat page saying that the rapid price rise was driven by money, which has distorted industry fundamentals and increased market risks. The report called for all participants in the market...

The copper price ticked upwards on Tuesday. It hovered near the record levels reached in the previous session. This was after Antofagasta, a Chilean miner, and a Chinese smelter, agreed to a zero-processing fee for 2026 copper concentrate. This underscored supply constraints. As of 0332 GMT, the most active "copper" contract on Shanghai Futures Exchange rose 0.1% to 93,810 Yuan ($13325.28) per metric tonne. The benchmark copper price for the three-month period on the London Futures Exchange remained unchanged at $11,926.0 per ton. According to a Chinese market data provider, China's leading copper smelters plan to reduce production by more...

The copper price reached a new record high on Monday. This was largely due to speculation and news of a Chinese smelter's zero-fees processing agreement. Benchmark - three-month copper at the London Metal Exchange rose 0.6% to $11,955 per metric tonne by 1100 GMT after touching a record high of $11,996. LME copper prices have risen 36% in the past year. This is largely due to fears of mine problems causing deficits for next year. Sources said that the supply concerns were highlighted 'on Friday, when Antofagasta Chilean miner and a Chinese Smelter agreed to a 'zero processing fee in...

On Monday, Dalian iron ore futures gained for a fifth session due to the tight supply of BHP’s?Jimblebar fines and Jingbao's fines. The May contract for iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange(DCE) rose 0.58%, to 781.5 Yuan ($111.01) per metric ton. As of 0710 GMT, the benchmark January iron ore price on the Singapore Exchange had fallen 0.05% to $104.65 per ton. Atilla Widnell, managing Director at Navigate Commodities, Singapore, stated that prices rose due to a limited supply of BHP's Jimblebar & Jingbao Fines. This left most Chinese mills represented state-owned China Mineral Resources Group with no choice...