Geology not ideology: Why collaboration is key in the critical minerals supply chain

Tristan Pascall, chief executive officer of Vancouver-based First Quantum Minerals, gave an exclusive interview with Fastmarkets on Friday August 29, in which he explains why Africa is the best place to build large copper mines, and gave his opinion of the outlook for the nickel, gold and copper sectors.

Critical minerals investment company TechMet Ltd is setting up a new trading arm, TechMet SCM, backed by additional investment from Mercuria Energy Trading.

How a historic railway is transforming trade, boosting economies and reshaping Africa's future

The US is launching its first Strategic Minerals Reserve at Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada, designed as a platform for storage, refining and recycling to strengthen supply chain security.

Westwin Elements, America’s first nickel refinery, has secured $1.4 billion in long-term deals with Traxys, boosting the domestic critical minerals supply chain and reducing import reliance.

What happens when global powers converge on a continent central to the race for critical resources and future influence? In this two-part special, Fastmarkets' Andrea Hotter travels to Angola to find out – and keeps a diary along the way.

Global aluminium producer Alcoa has already diverted 100,000 tonnes of Canadian metal away from the US market in response to uncertainty about import tariffs with trade measures continuing to upend traditional trade flows and pushing the company to rethink its global supply strategy, its chief executive officer said.

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.