Shares in Zanaga Iron Ore Company (LON:ZIOC) dropped 15% in London on Thursday after the company detailed its change of focus to a small-scale early production operation at its flagship Republic of Congo project.AIM-listed Zanaga, worth $50m after today's pullback, announced a $1.5m agreement with Glencore (LON:GLEN) for a 2018 work program on the early production project at the property located c...Read More

The government of British Columbia revealed today the timeline that will guide the procedures to reform the province's environmental assessment process.Known by its initials, the EAP is a course of action to predict environmental effects of proposed initiatives, particularly mining and resource extraction projects, before they are carried out. In general, an EAP should identify potential adverse e...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – China's imports of unwrought copper and copper products in February stood at 352,000 mt, down 20% month on month while up 3.5% year on year, according to China Customs.The month-on-month drop was mainly due to the Chinese New Year holiday. However, losses made in copper imports last month also put a cap on the overall volumes.Imports for the first two months of th...Read More

Fresh back from his trip to South Korea and the d10e conference in Seoul, TokenCommunities' Alex Lightman caught up with Proactive's Andrew Scott to discuss how 'the little guys' are leading the way in Blockchain development and its applications.In a wide-ranging discussion, Lightman touches on the exciting tie-up between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain and the progress which is being...Read More

The United States is expected to announce the official Section 232 import tariffs in the next five hours - keep up to date with all the 232-related news.To see...Read More

LONDON (Reuters) - A sense of calm returned to global markets on Thursday, as traders took a break from worrying about a global trade war and focused instead on how fast the European Central Bank will end its 2.5 trillion euro stimulus program.European [.EU] and Asian [.T] share markets edged up - the former for a fourth day - after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he may spare some key trade...Read More

Image: GlencoreThe price of copper dropped close to its 2018 lows and iron ore prices plunged on Thursday after customs data showed imports of raw materials by China weakening sharply in February.In brisk trading New York Comex copper for delivery in May gave up over 2% compared to Wednesday settlement price trading at $3.07 a pound ($6,770 per tonne). Copper is down 7% year to date.China's copper...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macro-economic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightThe base metals fell across the board as US dollar rebounded and as the trade war brews. SHFE aluminium and lead slid over 1%, copper dropped close to 1%, while LME lead lost over 2% and aluminium fell close to 2% to a three-month low.China's foreign-exchange reserves i...Read More

The Mexican government has imposed final anti-dumping duties on imports of welded tube from China, the country's economy secretariat said.The decision follows confirmation that Chinese products were entering the country at lower prices than domestic ones, resulting in significant dumping margins, it added on Thursday March 8.Goods shipped by Chinese exporter Huludao will...Read More

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rebounded last week from a more than 48-year low, but the trend continued to point to robust labor market conditions.Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 231,000 for the week ended March 3, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims dropped to 210,000 in the prior...Read More

FTSE 100 closes higherTrade war fears fade for nowPound mixed as ECB statement drops asset purchase increase line FTSE 100 closed higher as fears over trade wars eased and the Euro weakened after the  European Central Bank meeting.The premier UK blue-chip exchange added around 45 points at 7,203, while FTSE 250 also stormed higher, up 193 points at 19,968.In the currency markets, the pou...Read More

Diamond marketpositive despite slower-than-expected Hong Kong show. China outlook optimistic,with some uncertainty over unlimited Xi Jinping rule. Government relaxinganti-corruption measures, and consumers more confident about displaying wealth.Chinese female self-purchases rising. Hong Kong jewelry and watch sales +10% to$1B in Jan. Diamond buyers adapting to higher polished-price levels, with 1...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) –Copper: LME copper touched a low of $6,900/mt with resistance from moving averages. We expect it to trade at $6,900-6,970/mt and the SHFE 1805 contract to trade at 52,000-52,600 yuan/mt today. In the physical market, spot discounts are seen smaller at 100-40 yuan/mt. Aluminium: LME aluminium edged down overnight and is set to test support...Read More

(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Thursday as investors were encouraged by signs that President Donald Trump’s proposed hefty import tariffs on steel and aluminum could exclude some key trading partners.Markets on Wednesday fell sharply on Wednesday following the exit of Trump’s chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, but recovered after White House spokeswoman Sarah Sande...Read More

(IDEX Online) - The JCK Industry Fund will again provide a grant to the Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F) in support of its Diamonds Do Good Initiative, a consumer-facing initiative designed to highlight to consumers the collective good works of the diamond and jewelry industry. This year's grant is $100,000.   Research shows 75% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase a diamond afte...Read More

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's (PDAC's) 2018 convention, in Toronto, drew an international crowd of 25 606 people, in what is widely considered as a clear sign that optimism is returning to the mineral exploration and mining industry following several years of turmoil.Considered the largest mining industry event in the world, thi...Read More

Zanaga Iron Ore Company Ltd (LON:ZIOC) shares dropped 9.9% to 13.75p in late afternoon trading, as the iron ore developer said it is aiming for a low capital cost operation at its flagship Zanaga Iron Ore Project in the Republic of Congo.   The AIM-listed company said a funding agreement with FTSE 100-component Glencore PLC (LON:GLEN) was signed for a 2018 work program with a budget...Read More

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices were broadly steady on Thursday but still set to slip over the week for the second time in a row against a backdrop of rising U.S. crude production and an increase in inventories.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down 3 cents at $64.31 per barrel by 1005 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were up 3 cents at $61.18 a barrel.Brent was on track for a...Read More

Prices for hollow steel sections in Europe are expected to rise because of the low availability of steel coil, market sources have told Metal Bulletin.The supply of hot-rolled coil (HRC) has reduced because mills are heavily booked and there has been a lack of workable import offers. These factors have put tube mills in a quandary when trying to secure...Read More

(IDEX Online) - CARAT+ has welcomed the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) as its Main Partner for the 2018 edition of the show.   "United by a shared commitment to Antwerp as the 'Diamond Capital of the World', AWDC will host a series of unique events before and during CARAT+ 2018 to highlight the city's world-renowned diamond heritage and expertise," Carat+ and the AWDC said in a statement...Read More