Get the inside scoop on the biggest stories in the natural resources sector from our special correspondent

In Hotter Commodities, special correspondent Andrea Hotter cuts to the chase on the biggest stories impacting the natural resources sector, what it means for the markets, and what the key risks and opportunities are.

Read the latest insights from Hotter Commodities below.

Read the latest Hotter Commodities insights

Over a decade since its first attempt, Glencore appears to have taken another tilt at Rio Tinto.

Africa’s first transcontinental rail network, known as the Lobito Corridor, which aims to eventually connect almost the entire regional copper-cobalt belt with additional links across sub-Saharan Africa, is on track to break ground early in 2026, a senior official at the US Department of State told Fastmarkets.

The possibility that tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs) will be rescinded under the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump has given US sales – and some automotive manufacturers – a long sought-after boost.

Reducing reliance on China’s hugely successful critical minerals supply chain dominance was never going to be easy, as some western mining companies are finding out the hard way.

Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) has been added to the US Department of Defense’s Chinese Military Company (CMC) list.

European imports of pipeline natural gas from Russia via Ukraine have ended, putting the region’s metals smelters and refineries on alert for potential hikes in operational costs.

“Trump Tariffs” will be back in 2025 and commodities markets are bracing for the impact.

United States Antimony Corporation has been holding financing discussions with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) as it seeks to significantly expand the capacity of the country’s only antimony smelter, the company’s chairman and co-chief executive officer told Fastmarkets.

It was already getting more difficult to source nickel qualified as compliant to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Under a future Donald Trump administration, it’s likely to get harder still, in the short-term at least.

Follow Andrea on her social networks so you don’t miss an update.

Hear more from Andrea on our monthly podcast series
Purple, Texture, Lighting

The definitive podcast for the critical minerals and battery raw materials markets. From uncovering market secrets to predicting future trends using Fastmarkets forecasting data, we’ve got you covered.

Video interview with Andrea Hotter

Watch this short video to hear a recent interview with Andrea Hotter of Hotter Commodities as she discusses the concept of ‘sustainable finance’ and what it actually means for investors.

She also looks at mixed messaging over carbon-neutral terminology and the impact that environmental, social and governmental (ESG) considerations and resource nationalism is having on the battery materials market

Sign up to receive Andrea Hotter’s content as it is published

Fastmarkets combines the commodity intelligence of these familiar names:

Metal Bulletin • American Metal Market • Scrap Price Bulletin • Industrial Minerals • RISI • FOEX • The Jacobsen • Agricensus • Palm Oil Analytics • Random Lengths • FastMarkets and more