The Crucible: August 2025

  7-9 April, Lisbon, Portugal   The MMTA International Metals Conference 2025 returned to Europe on 7-9 April, to beautiful Lisbon, the historic heart of Europe’s seaborne trade.  More than…

    Dear MMTA Members, First, an announcement. The MMTA wishes to inform you that the MMTA’s International Minor Metals Conference 2026 will now take place at the Hyatt Regency…

CPM heard in early May 2025 from a hafnium supplier in China that one of its export shipments of hafnium crystal bar had been stopped by the Chinese customs authorities.…

On Executive Orders, SMRs and Fusion   Dear MMTA Members, Since President Trump’s inauguration, we have seen a veritable flood of Executive Orders pouring from the Oval Office covering many,…

EU entities must buy CBAM certificates for FeCr, FeMn starting in Jan 2027 European ferromanganese and ferrochrome producers likely to benefit Importers of high-carbon FeMn, FeCr will pay another 5%-10%…

MMTA member AMG Chrome, a leading chromium producer based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire,  UK is building a new plant in New Castle,  Pennsylvania, USA. The plant, expected to be fully…

After several year’s absence, meet the MMTA 2025 Cricket team! Thank you to MMTA member Wogen Resources, and especially Seema Rambarran and Vikki Po, for organising the Festival of Cricket…

Time bar under the Hague Visby Rules  Legal Insight from HFW   Background The court recently clarified what a “suit” is for the purpose of the time bar under Article…

A few years ago, I had to grapple with a dissenting trade arbitrator who refused to sign an award. That trade arbitrator was subsequently removed (endorsed by the Court).  We…

The MMTAs charity Friends of Mufulira (FOM) tries to develop relationships with the community in the town of Mufulira, Zambia as partners. We have much to give — but Mufulira also…