In a move received with optimism from industry experts, the One Big Beautiful Bill allocates billions in federal funding to bolster the US critical minerals sector through multiple venues, signaling strong government support for domestic production and supply chain resilience. Market participants expect the demand effect from the introduction of timelines on 45X and repealing of 30D credits to be limited.

The 2025 Fastmarkets Lithium Conference in Las Vegas highlighted critical issues shaping the battery supply chain, including lithium oversupply, funding struggles and the need for midstream investment. Discussions also emphasized the importance of interdependence with China and the challenges faced by recyclers amid policy uncertainty and market headwinds.

South Africa’s newly approved Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy and the draft of the 2025 Mineral Resources Development Bill (MRDB) have drawn significant attention from global market participants, particularly manganese and chrome buyers in China.

Discover how big oil is fuelling change in the global electric vehicle (EV) market with the latest episode of Fast Forward podcast

The US trade roller coaster ride seems to be flattening, with signs of potential moderation and stability. It appears increasingly likely that our original expectation that the US Trump administration would primarily use the threat of tariffs as a negotiating strategy will be correct. While we do not expect to the US tariff position return to pre-2025 levels, we believe the overall US tariff burden is more likely to settle at around 10-30% globally rather than the elevated rates of 50-100% that seemed possible in recent weeks.

Read Fastmarkets' monthly battery raw materials market update for May 2025, focusing on raw materials including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and more

The recent US-China agreement to temporarily reduce tariffs is a major step for global trade, with tariffs on US goods entering China dropping from 125% to 10% and on Chinese goods entering the US decreasing from 145% to 30% starting May 14. While this has boosted markets and created optimism, key industries like autos and steel remain affected, leaving businesses waiting for clearer long-term trade policies.

Explore how rare earths power innovation, China's dominance and efforts to build a resilient global supply chain

The US warned of Chinese dominance in the rare earths market, while the UK and EU pushed for a coordinated approach to decarbonization and electrification at the UK-hosted International Energy Agency (IEA) Summit on the Future of Energy Security in London on Thursday April 24.

The recent US executive order intended to fast-track seabed mining projects has thrown a spotlight on a sector that faces a storm of challenges, including from its stakeholders.