China

As if they had known that October is Copper Month here on AmericanResources.org, the current issue of the Economist features a story on what the publication calls “Red Bull – the world’s most informative metal.”

Leading off with an anecdote on the increase in copper theft (an issue we have previously discussed) serving as an indicator for changes to the global economy – hence the moniker “Dr. Copper” – the piece goes on to discuss the broader context of global copper demand, China’s role in it, and future supply challenges.

October is here – and so is Copper Month.

We’re kicking off our informational campaign to highlight the breadth of our nation’s metals and minerals needs by drilling down into the many utilities of and challenges associated with copper – a mainstay industrial metal that has more in common with the often-discussed rare earth elements  (REEs) than you would think.

Increasing demand, particularly in Asia, and growing global supply challenges warrant a closer look at the base metal, which plays a largely underestimated role in the generation of economic growth, social well-being and economic security.

You may wonder how copper ties into the broader issue of U.S. resource dependency, if compared to the near total dependence on foreign REE imports, we only import 30% of the copper we use today – which may not sound like a big deal.  It’s the historical perspective that matters, though:

In 1993, the year the last metric ton of copper was sold out of the National Defense Stockpile, U.S. mines produced 1.8 million metric tons of copper – roughly 60% more than in 2010.   This means that over a less-than-20-year span, our net import dependency, which stood at 7% back then, has increased by a whopping 23%.

Throw in the geopolitical challenges associated with the geography of global copper mining which we will look at later in the week, and copper has all the makings of a highly critical mineral resource, the domestic development of which should be a priority for policy makers.

Be sure to check out our new microsite at www.coppermatters.org, and watch for copper-related updates on Twitter and Facebook throughout October.

Worried about China’s ongoing rare earths stranglehold and further cutbacks of exports, Japan looks to diversify its rare earths supply basis. While a delegation of Japanese business leaders recently urged China to ensure a stable supply to Japan, the Japanese government is stepping up its efforts to find alternative sources for the sought-after commodity. In [...]

The British Geological Survey (BGS) recently released its supply risk index for critical minerals, which makes the United Kingdom the latest country to zero in on the issue of resource dependency. The study ranks 52 elements or element groups based on a number of factors that impact supply, including each element’s abundance in the Earth and [...]

In an effort to secure access to critical metals and minerals, Germany’s national industrial association, the Federation of German Industry (BDI) is exploring the formation of a “globally active profit-oriented raw materials corporation.” As the German monthly Manager Magazin reports, the envisioned procurement trust, which companies like chemicals maker Evonik and auto manufacturer Daimler have [...]

In an interview with The Critical Metals Report, analyst Rick Mills shares his thoughts on how cobalt is the “king of critical metals.” Increasingly indispensable as an industrial metal, in the development of green technologies, and in various critical defense applications, cobalt is one of only four metals or element groups to make all three recently [...]

In today’s globalized world, it doesn’t take a seat at the decision-making table for one nation to influence another’s domestic policies – a near-monopoly on critical mineral resources will do.  A case in point is India, which, after a seven-year hiatus, is expanding its indigenous Rare Earth Element (REE) production over growing concerns that China [...]

The New York Times’ Keith Bradshear has taken a closer look at foreign manufacturers moving their production sites into China in an effort to mitigate reduced access to and increased cost for REEs – a development we covered on our blog here and here. The article underscores that rather than acting out of environmental concerns, [...]

American Resources expert and Technology Metals Research co-founder, Gareth Hatch, has released a new study that highlights the implications of the supply and demand over rare earths elements. Hatch’s research also delves into how the United States can mitigate the current REE shortage. The Critical Rare Earths Report features detailed evaluations of the supply challenges and qualitative rankings [...]

A sad, but not surprising, news story made its way across the wires this morning.  North Korea’s Kim Jong Il has approved a swap of sorts with its northern neighbor, China. The agreement will bring Chinese fertilizer and corn to his country’s famine-ravaged Hermit Kingdom in exchange for ceding to China rights to develop North [...]