The AOCE and WB have moderate overall forecasts for the metals in 2025 inline with IMF forecasts for a decline in economic growth and inflation, although we see the probability of a stagflationary scenario as still reasonably high.Read More

The past year was a difficult one overall for the metals, with the main standouts to the upside being a geopolitical risk-driven gain in gold, a China-driven rise in iron ore and a surge in uranium on broadening global support for nuclear power (Figure 1). A jump in global interest rates to near two-decade highs saw recession fears persist all year, and while one still did not actually eru...Read More

This year the post-global health crisis boom was brought to an end by a surge in inflation to forty-year highs, a major rise in global interest rates in an attempt to curb the rising prices and surging geopolitical risk after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While precious metals held up reasonably well as markets turned to them as a risk hedge, by Q2/22 the higher interest rates put an end t...Read More

Chile is the world leader in copper production, at 28.5% of the total in 2020, and this looks set to continue, with the country having the largest global reserves, at 23.0% of total. It is also the global leader for molybdenum, which is often found along with copper, and is a major lithium player, holding 51.1% of global reserves. Read More

Newfoundland has become a gold exploration hotspot over the past few years, with the sector seeing some of its strongest activity ever. While the province remains a small contributor to Canadian gold production, it has a substantial mineral industry well supported by the government, focused on iron ore, copper and nickel, and the surge in exploration suggests that gold output from the...Read More

Nevada is the core of the U.S. gold output, accounting for by far the majority, at 75.4% on average for the past year. The state looks set to remain a dominant player in U.S. gold, as it accounts for 49% of total U.S. reserves, with Alaska slightly ahead with 51% of reserves, but just 8.6% of current production. The U.S. accounts for 6.1% of global gold output, making Nevada one of the largest gol...Read More

The Golden Triangle in northwestern British Columbia has historically been a major site of Canadian gold production, beginning as early as the mid 1800s. There was a wave of production in the 1990s which cooled as the gold price declined, but larger scale production resumed in 2017, and the area has seen surging exploration interest over the past year, given that the region has some of the largest...Read More

In this report we outline the Quebec gold mining industry, including its major producers, and a survey of many of the junior miners focused on the province. Quebec accounts for 34% of Canadian gold production (second to Ontario, with 44%) and remains a major focus for both producers and junior miners.Read More

Red Lake has been one of the most prolific gold mining districts in Canada and the world, with exploration having started in the 1920s, and production, which began in the 1930s, continuing to the present day. The district is known for the high grade of its gold, its infrastructure, and strong institutional support, given the long history of mining in the area.Read More

Canada's First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM) (LON:FQM) said Thursday it is selling its nickel, copper and platinum-group metals Kevitsa mine in Finland for $712 million to Boliden AB, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce debt.The Swedish mining and smelting company will pay cash for the mine that has nickel, copper and platinum-group metals, subject to customary adjustments, First Quantum said. The sa...Read More

A second exploration company is making plans to work inside Nunavut's caribou calving grounds - this time on the range of the dwindling Bathurst herd.And once again, it happened with the approval of the Nunavut Impact Review Board, and against the advice of the N.W.T. government.Last spring Tundra Copper sought, and received, permission to search for copper on the Bluenose East calving grounds.R...Read More

Kim Jong-un orders North Korea’s nuclear arsenal on standby Kim Jong-un’s bombastic statement came after the UN security council’s adoption of tough new sanctions on Pyongyang. -UK TelegraphSome of the biggest fear-based propaganda swirls around the nuclear resources of the modern age.For instance, North Korea claims to have a new-type "large-caliber multiple launch rocket system...Read More

Human beings have come up with some crazy ideas for money and finance over the years.Conch shells. Beads. Animal skins. Salt. Rice. All of these were used as a form of money at one time or another.But the strangest by far has got to be the Rai Stones of Yap Island.Yap is a tiny speck in the western Pacific, a few hours by plane from the Philippines and Guam.Long ago, islanders began using gigantic...Read More

Kim Jong-un orders North Korea’s nuclear arsenal on standby Kim Jong-un’s bombastic statement came after the UN security council’s adoption of tough new sanctions on Pyongyang. -UK TelegraphSome of the biggest fear-based propaganda swirls around the nuclear resources of the modern age.For instance, North Korea claims to have a new-type "large-caliber multiple launch rocket system...Read More

Human beings have come up with some crazy ideas for money and finance over the years.Conch shells. Beads. Animal skins. Salt. Rice. All of these were used as a form of money at one time or another.But the strangest by far has got to be the Rai Stones of Yap Island.Yap is a tiny speck in the western Pacific, a few hours by plane from the Philippines and Guam.Long ago, islanders began using gigantic...Read More

Chile's environmental watchdog has pressed charges against Sierra Gorda SCM, firm jointly owned by Poland's KGHM Polska Miedz and Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining, saying it was found guilty of committing nine environmental infractions.KGHM could face fines and have the licence for its Sierra Gorda mine revoked.According to the Superintendence for the Environment (SMA), the "serious" to "mild" breach...Read More

China-backed miner MMG Ltd (HKG:1208) revealed Wednesday it lost $1.05 billion last year as metals prices traded at multiyear lows, forcing it to book a $784.3 million write down.The overseas unit of China's largest state-owned copper and zinc producer said revenue fell 21% to $1.95 billion in the year to Dec. 31, despite achieving record copper production, as prices for the industrial metal we...Read More

Lula and the BRICS in a fight to the death ... "BRICS" is the dirtiest of acronyms in the Beltway/Wall Street axis ... So it's no surprise the three key BRICS powers have been under simultaneous attack, on many fronts, for some time now. -RTThis RT article provides us a momentous summary of the world's latest Cold War.It is "The BRICS Versus the Anglosphere."The analysis comes from one of the savv...Read More

Lula and the BRICS in a fight to the death ... "BRICS" is the dirtiest of acronyms in the Beltway/Wall Street axis ... So it's no surprise the three key BRICS powers have been under simultaneous attack, on many fronts, for some time now. -RTThis RT article provides us a momentous summary of the world's latest Cold War.It is "The BRICS Versus the Anglosphere."The analysis comes from one of the savv...Read More

Well, that was shortlived. The rally that had investors clambering back into mining stocks came to an abrupt end today, as disappointing export data from China showed continuing signs of weakness in the world's top commodities consumer.Traders were quick to hit their sell buttons as official figures released in Beijing today showed exports in February were down a whopping 25.4 percent from the pre...Read More

The recent surge in prices of gold, oil and other commodities has come prematurely, says the bank, arguing that lower prices are needed for markets to rebalance.Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), one of the most influential banks in commodity markets, poured cold water on the growing belief that metals and oil prices have "bottomed out," and warned the current rally is "not sustainable."In a series of repor...Read More

Two workers died and five are missing at Glencore's (LON:GLEN) Katanga Mining operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a pit wall collapsed on Tuesday.The "geotechnical failure" - or a landslide - occurred on the north wall of the KOV open pit mine, Glencore-owned Katanga said in a statement. It added that all relevant authorities had been informed and that all activity on site had al...Read More

According to a recent EY report, financial distress among mining and metals companies is expected to shape merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the sector in 2016, with divestments picking-up pace on the back of volatility and uncertainty on the timing of a recovery."The value and volume of Canadian deals was at a 10 year low in 2015," says Bruce Sprague, EY's Canadian Mining & Metals Leader....Read More

Escondida, the world's largest copper-producing mine. Image courtesy of BHP BillitonCopper mining companies operating in Chile, the world's top producer of the industrial metal, have begun bringing contractors in-house and bracing for salary hikes ahead of a pro-worker reform bill, which on track to be approved this month.Miners are not happy about the upcoming legislation because they believe it...Read More

Trump's rise disturbs world media ... As the U.S. woke up Wednesday to the news that Donald Trump had triumphed in a majority of the states up for grabs in the Super Tuesday contests, the wider world also woke up to the prospect of a man whom some consider a demagogue occupying the world’s most powerful political office … – Financial ExpressThe mainstream media is filled with...Read More

The latest World Exploration Trends report from SNL Metals & Mining reveals that the global exploration sector continues to struggle against strong market headwinds. The analysis showed a 19% decline in worldwide nonferrous metals exploration budgets in 2015 compared with the previous year, as well as the lowering of the sector's aggregate market capitalization to levels not seen since early 2009....Read More

Canada plans to experiment with giving people unconditional free money ... Finland and the Netherlands have already shown their interest in giving people a regular monthly allowance regardless of working status, and now Ontario, Canada is onboard. - Tech InsiderFor years we've written how the "basic income" is statist propaganda expressed in monetary terms.Love your state and the support it provid...Read More

Minnesota is on its way to developing its first copper-nickel mine, with the state's Department of Natural Resources deciding last week to approve a complex environmental analysis of the project.In its final environmental impact statement on the proposed copper, nickel and cobalt mine, the agency called the 3,000-plus page environmental impact statement "adequate", thus concluding the state's envi...Read More

John W. Whitehead is an attorney and author who has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law and human rights. In 1982, he established The Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit civil liberties and human rights organization whose international headquarters are located in Charlottesville, Virginia (www.rutherford.org). Whitehead has won many honors as a result of his freed...Read More