Metal Bulletin is part of Fastmarkets

Explore how China’s 15th Five-Year Plan drives base metals demand in advanced manufacturing and renewable energy.

The ongoing US government shutdown is reshaping the steel industry as stalled federal projects, delayed contracts and budget uncertainty ripple through domestic supply chains. With infrastructure spending on hold, producers are confronting weaker demand and rising pressure across the broader manufacturing sector.

Harena Resources is staking a claim in Madagascar’s rare earths sector, intending to supply the US amid rising global demand and the continued dominance of Chinese producers, the company’s chairman has told Fastmarkets.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ MB-LI-0012 spodumene min 6% Li2O, spot price, cif China, $/tonne for October 29, 2025, was delayed because of a peer reviewer error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.

ACG Metals expects to begin to produce copper and zinc concentrates in mid-2026, marking a shift from gold toward base metals, as part of its plan to build a mid-tier copper company, according to its founder, chairman and chief executive officer.

In this Fast Forward episode, Major General Alberto Rosende, CEO of M2I Global, joins Andrea Hotter with William Adams and Alex Cook to unpack the next generation of the US critical minerals stockpile strategy – and its impact.