Spodumene production in Australia and Canada rose in the second quarter of 2025, with most producers maintaining profitability despite falling prices. However, several high-cost operations remain inactive amid ongoing market uncertainty.

The US is confronting a copper supply shortfall, but one company believes that it already holds the key to unlocking hundreds of thousands of tonnes of refined copper – right here, right now.

The US needs well-defined and stable policy around critical minerals, energy transition and trade, while derisking projects and maintaining good relations with other countries to be able to establish sustainable electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS) supply chains in North America, according to industry experts.

Goldcorp founder Rob McEwen is back in the spotlight with a bold bet on copper in Argentina. The $2.5 billion Los Azules project, set to become Argentina’s first major copper mine in over 30 years, is reshaping the country’s mining industry while raising sustainability standards. Positioned as a key player in addressing a global copper shortage, the project highlights innovation, persistence and a commitment to meeting the growing demand from global electrification.

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.

Seaborne iron ore prices are on the rise due to increased trading activity and stable market fundamentals, highlighting steady demand and opportunities for growth while emphasizing the importance of monitoring market trends to manage risks effectively.

Producers of copper appear to be adopting the public mantra of “keep calm and carry on” while trade tensions escalate. But this belies an underlying mood of concern that not just they, but the wider industry, has assumed

The price of lithium is falling, but some Western companies have recently announced more investments in the Lithium Triangle – a region of South America comprising parts of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.

Investment shortfalls, aggravated by recent poor performance in commodities markets, political and economic instability and surging demand, have sown the seeds for the next commodity bull cycle, leading to “metal shocks” in a similar vein to the “oil shocks” of the 1970s, according to economist Philippe Gijsels, chief strategy officer at BNP Paribas Fortis.

The merging of two of North America’s lithium producers, Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining, aims to provide optionality over growth projects and enhance the companies’ strategic flexibility, according to Fastmarkets’ head of base metals and battery research William Adams.