critical minerals

The Metal Events‘ 19th International Rare Earths Conference returns to San Antonio, Texas, in 2023.  Registration and welcome reception on 18th October, following on from the Scandium Symposium Register HERE…

The UK’s Critical Minerals Association, in partnership with Metal Events, is holding its first Critical Metals and Materials Conference in London on 22-23 March 2023. MMTA members are entitled to…

In June this year the Australian Government released its Critical Minerals Strategy for the period to 2030. In this guest article, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission  (Austrade) sets out…

Less than 1% of the 20 million-tonne manganese produced each year is used in batteries, but the battery industry is disrupting the manganese market as increases to demand from the…

Benchmark is delighted to announce the return of Giga Asia Pacific – where the region’s government, industry and finance will meet to chart a course for the region’s lithium ion…

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence brings clarity to the otherwise opaque markets of the lithium-ion battery (LiB) and electric vehicle (EV) supply chains. Through its services, ranging from PRA, Data, Forecasts and…

Benchmark’s Flagship Event Returns   Since 2016, Benchmark Week has been the leading gathering for the world’s lithium-ion battery supply chain and the wider energy transition. This year, multiple content…

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is delighted to host the Benchmark World Tour 2024 in The Whitehall Suite within the Royal Horseguards hotel and One Whitehall Place, London, on Wednesday 2nd October. Since 2015, the Benchmark World…

The passing of the US Inflation Reduction Act puts US automakers under pressure to localise their battery raw material supply in North America or secure  supply from countries such as…

Project Blue’s inaugural Critical Materials Conference: AEROSPACE & DEFENCE 2026 is coming to in Washington, DC.

Join Project Blue and the Minor Metals Trade Association for a free LME Week networking and information event in the heart of London. Hear from an expert panel of speakers…

The MMTA’s Critical Materials Forum 2024 in association with critical materials consultancy Project Blue will be held at the Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London on Tuesday 1…

This month Project Blue is looking more closely at two of the rare earths underpinning energy transition: dysprosium and terbium. Dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb) are two elements that form…

Project Blue looks at  the evolving role of lithium in energy transition, and the opportunities and challenges that make lithium this decade’s key critical raw material   This month we…

This month we are diving deep into one of the most politically topical critical materials underpinning energy transition: rare earths. While not gaining attention as a battery raw material, rare…

Following the announcement of the proposed  EU Critical Raw Materials Act (see The Crucible, September 2022), the European Commission invited views on the proposed legislation (see The Crucible, October 2022)…

Strengthening Critical Raw Materials Value Chain 10 ways for Europe to regain lost ground Unleash Europe’s Potential: Join the CRM Alliance‘s conference in Brussels to explore strategies for revitalising critical…

CRU Ferroalloys Europe Connections Summit 2026 brings together senior decision-makers from across the ferroalloys value chain for three days of networking, deal-making, and market insight.

The US Department of Defense has awarded two grants worth $200,000 to Perpetua Resources to study the potential for military-grade antimony production from its Stibnite Gold Project in Idaho. If…

In Part 2 of this series for The Crucible, analysts Andrew Matheson and Patrick Stratton of CPM Group examine what transport electrification means for minor metals   CPM Group analysts…

In December 2025, the European Commission  adopted a new action plan called RESourceEU.  The strategy is designed to speed up the implementation of the European Union Critical Raw Materials Act…

The European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act was published today in the Official Journal of the European Commission and comes in to force on 23 May. Read the full text…

After months of deliberations, the European Parliament voted in the second week of December 2023 to adopt the Critical Raw Materials Act. The key aim of this legislation, aside from…

One of the most important international battery events in China, giving you direct access to the companies, data and dialogue shaping production, pricing and policy

The Fastmarkets European Battery Raw Materials Conference 2025 is taking place in Lisbon, Portugal  from 16 to 18 September. As Europe looks to strengthen its battery supply chain, this event…

MMTA member discount Members of the Minor Metals Trade Association are eligible for a special 15% registration discount. Please log into your Member Benefits page for the discount code and…

The India Battery & Critical Materials Conference is shaped in partnership with a distinguished Advisory Board of industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators. Their expertise ensures that the programme addresses the…

Hafnium prices have surged since September as firm demand from the aerospace, industrial gas turbine (IGT) and semiconductor industries rapidly outpaces supply, and buyers attempt to navigate this notoriously illiquid…

China imposes graphite export restrictions Export restrictions on key anode materials highlight the dominance of China in the battery sector, and the case for localised supply chains In October 2023,…

CPM Group recently attended both the Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA) and Metal Events Rare Earths (MERE) meetings in Singapore. Along with the valuable opportunity to reconnect with people sometimes…

The critical minerals industry has the potential to transform Indonesia into a top destination for sustainable investment. This event, organised by Fastmarkets and supported by the Indonesian government, will bring…

On 14th May 2024 the Office of the US Trade Representative announced a plan to introduce or increase duties on a range of Chinese imports as it looks to onshore…

Welcome to the November Crucible Dear MMTA members, Welcome to your November 2023 edition of the Minor Metal Trade Association’s magazine, the Crucible. Following on from the October webinar, Mastering…

To the Moon and back Further to June’s space exploration highlights, August saw NASA readying its Artemis Moon mission for launch.  The Space Launch System rocket pictured here will send…

  With high gas and electricity prices battering Europe, UK and EU governments announced winter support, including temporary caps on prices for domestic and business consumers. EU measures unveiled on…

Go, Go, Gallium After several false starts, NASA’s Artemis I mission took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 16 November, the first in a series of complex missions…

Welcome to the March issue of The Crucible. In the February issue you might have read Tom Butcher’s Letter from North America on the increasingly trendy concept of “friend-shoring”. This…

Glencore woos Teck As this issue of the Crucible was heading to print, Swiss commodities giant Glencore sweetened its takeover approach to Canadian miner Teck Resources, which looked determined to…

China brings in Ga, Ge export permitting  From 1 August, the Chinese government announced that eight products related to gallium and six to germanium will require export permits, citing national…

EU votes to adopt the CRM Act On 14th September the European Parliament voted by an overwhelming majority to adopt the Critical Raw Materials Act. The amended act adds aluminium…

Welcome to the December Crucible Welcome to the final 2025 edition of the MMTA’s Crucible magazine. As we look already into the New Year, with the holidays approaching, and for…

Welcome to the May-June Crucible issue. With our premier annual event, the International Minor Metals Conference  and the MMTA annual general meeting now behind us—see this issue for the conference…

Project Blue Critical Materials Conference: EV & Battery 2026 brings together leading voices from across the EV and lithium-ion battery supply chain in Europe’s automotive heartland.

On the heels of the Metals Events 19th Rare Earths Conference in  San Antonio, Texas, USA, in October, Andrew Matheson and Patrick Stratton, analysts at CPM Group, delve into the…

MMTA News   In light of our work progress over the past year and current priorities, the MMTA board has decided to retire the News Spot-light Group and to reconvene…

If you think trade sanctions, the battle for critical metals and the race to secure a local supply chain is all a modern headache, read on.  A recently discovered time…

An excellent man, like precious metal, is in every way invariable (John Locke, philosopher 1632 – 1704) In this op-ed for The Crucible, Ingrid Putkonen, Managing Director and Founder of…

 Proposed Modifications to the Section 301 Actions (Docket Number USTR-2024-0007) In June the US Trade Representative consulted on proposed additions to the USTR’s Section 301’s 25% import duties, including HTS…

In Part 1 of this series for The Crucible analysts Andrew Matheson and Patrick Stratton of CPM Group tackle the tension at the heart of Net Zero’s reliance on minor…

The tantalum industry is a very small place, so the news that one of the major tantalum processors, Global Advanced Metals (GAM) is for sale might strike one initially as…

The UK government’s new Critical Minerals Strategy aims to  safeguard the UK’s supply security for critical raw materials. The strategy will be informed by the newly set up Critical Minerals…

The UK government’s ten-year Critical Minerals Strategy, Vision 2035 released in late November, is tied to its Industrial Strategy published in the summer. That singled out key grow sectors: defence,…

Unfolding in April 2024, this dynamic forum is not just an event but a nexus for global professionals and thought leaders. Engage in in-depth discussions on critical minerals, exploring challenges,…

Good Morning! This Sunday morning, here in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, I am looking out on around six inches of pristine snow. We have been hit by part of a large…

  Friend-shoring? Yes, friend-shoring.   Dear Members   Good Morning! Another Sunday morning here in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Rather than looking out on a world covered in snow and nippy…

A “Pincer” Movement to Secure Supply Chains? Dear Members   Good Morning! Once again, a Sunday morning here in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The weather’s actually quite decent at the moment:…

The US Government and Critical Materials   Dear MMTA Members,   Good afternoon, once again from Cleveland Heights, Ohio. And it is a stunning afternoon here: crisp, bright and with…

Metals in Nuclear: Part I Dear Members, As I wrote towards the end of last year, with Donald Trump once again in the driving seat, it would be interesting to…

Dear Members Good Morning! Once again, a Sunday morning here in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The weather’s actually quite decent at the moment: a bit of a change. Although we still…

Dear MMTA Members, Welcome to your May edition of the Crucible magazine, This is its first issue since the MMTA’s International Minor Metals Conference and AGM took place in Singapore…