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The United States is expanding domestic rare earth production, but the real challenge lies further downstream. Processing, metalmaking, alloy production and permanent magnet manufacturing remain critical to building a resilient defence supply chain. The United States is investing in rare earth mining and manufacturing to reduce its dependence on China.…
By Mo Shine 5 min read
The Assay in 60 seconds
Full briefingEurope Considers a Bigger Role in Financing Critical Minerals BRUSSELS, 27 October 2026 — For a mining company, discovering a mineral deposit is only…
Talk to any mining developer who has recently walked out of New Delhi’s gleaming auction halls with a winning bid, and they will tell…
A permanent magnet generates a magnetic field without any external power supply. No current through a coil, no energy input required to maintain the…
Key metals and the biggest movers since the previous close · as of 29 Oct 08:00 UTC · Prices by MetalCharts
Global lithium demand will more than triple between now and 2050, requiring the equivalent of 134 new mines and more than $100 billion in investment before any contribution from recycling, according to a forecast…
The battery in your electric car contains more graphite than any other material by weight. Here is what it is, how it…
The US government has spent the past eighteen months deploying capital into critical minerals at a pace and in a form that…
Digging Deeper
Skillings examines the peculiar disconnect in the uranium sector, where long-term contract price indicators have soared to an 18-year high of $96.50 per pound, yet the Global X Uranium ETF (URA) has…
Uranium mining shares have fallen 45.2 percent from their January peak even as long-term contract indicators hold a record $96.50 per pound, reflecting lagged contract realizations…
One year ago today, President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the United States-Australia Critical Minerals Framework at the…
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Skillings Analysis
A Santiago-based consultancy has drawn a distinction that most critical-mineral forecasts miss. Scarcity and fragility are not the same problem. They do not always affect the same minerals. And they require different solutions. GEM…
Why it matters Can US financing rebuild its rare earth supply chain? Explore China’s processing dominance, government-backed investment, and the risks facing domestic production.
JPMorganChase has launched a decade-long initiative to finance strategic industries, including critical-mineral mining and processing. Its investment in Perpetua Resources offers a concrete example…
NEW YORK/BUENOS AIRES — The United States and Argentina have launched the Andes-Atlantic Corridor, an infrastructure initiative designed to connect Argentina’s mineral-producing regions and…
A mineral discovery can attract investors, government attention and headlines about future supply. But finding a deposit is only the first step…
Autonomous mining technology is moving from isolated pilot projects into routine production across surface and underground operations. In September, EACON said its…
Autonomous mining has moved beyond the pilot stage. Industry data compiled by Skillings indicates that about 5,684 autonomous or autonomy-ready haul trucks…
More operations & technology
Federal policy and new technologies could unlock valuable minerals from mining waste. However, poor site data, environmental risks…
Malaysia’s established processing operations and emerging separation and magnet projects are attracting US interest. The challenge now is…
Zambia and the United States have signed a five-year health-financing agreement worth $2.49 billion in combined commitments. Negotiations…
Tronox and Japan’s JX Advanced Metals are committing US$32 million to studies for a proposed rare-earth processing chain…
North America’s end-of-life phones could contain at least $2.2 billion in recoverable critical minerals by 2040. An Ellen MacArthur Foundation report identifies…
From Ghanaian gold to Congolese cobalt and Indonesian tin, illegal extraction and weak documentation expose gaps in mineral supply chains. The challenge…
The European Commission’s revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) reduce reporting volume sharply, but they do not remove the operational risks that…
An industrial tailings recovery operation requires integrated controls for water, energy, permitting, closure and disclosure. Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has signed a…
For mining companies, ESG compliance is moving from a reporting exercise into a condition of access: access to permits, financing, insurance, strategic…
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