Welcome to the December Crucible
As the year draws to a close after a busy conference season, welcome to this year’s last issue of the Crucible, which looks back on 2024 and forward to 2025.
We enter the new year with significant global uncertainty, and it is ever more important to maintain industry networks and keep up with the information ahead. The MMTA will endeavour in the new year to help you stay connected and informed.
With this year’s events behind us, the next MMTA event will be out annual New York Dinner, which is returning to the Cornell Club on 30th January 2025. What better time to catch up with North American colleagues and to hear the latest macroeconomic perspectives. There is still time to book your tickets HERE
For further information, please contact admin@mmta.co.uk
Please note that MMTA offices will be closed for holidays from 24th December and until 2nd January 2025.
The MMTA would like to wish our members and colleagues the best of the holiday season and a happy and prosperous upcoming New Year 2025.
In this issue
Much has happened since the last Crucible issue, not least the US elections, which turned the spotlight on North American politics. While the US is entering 2025 still under President Biden’s administration, which has persisted with its tariff policy proposals, among others, after 20th January it will continue the year under the new administration currently being formed by President Trump.
Among his first proposals was the erection of new tariff barriers ranging from universal 60% on imports from China to levies between 10% and 20% on other countries , including its partners such as the European Union and neighbours Canada and Mexico. How this opening gambit will play out in the arena of international trade negotiations and pressures of potentially rising domestic manufacturing costs remains to be seen.
In this issue, MMTA’s new member Project Blue examines what a Trump administration could mean for critical raw materials, while our North American correspondent Tom Butcher looks at previous Trump administration’s approach and the role of the Mineral Security Partnership.
Among other changes afoot, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence weighs up competing and complementary roles of sodium-ion v lithium-ion batteries. And Argus Media analyses what expected qualification of Chinese-made aerospace grade titanium sponge could mean for the titanium market.
Welcome to the MMTA’s latest joiner
Natasha Green, MMTA Member Services
In September, ahead of this year’s LME Week, Natasha Green joined the MMTA as its newest team member in the Association’s Member Services. Natasha’s background is in the pharmaceutical and packaging industry, where she worked in various roles from Administrator to Operations Manager.
“I am looking forward to learning more about Minor Metals as it is a while new world to me! After attending some of the seminars in LME Week, it was great to learn and it gave me a good insight, “ Natasha says. “It was lovely to meet those who attended the MMTA Dinner.
Tit for tat trade measures
On 2 December the US government announced a package of measures designs to impair designed China’s capability to produce advanced-node semiconductors , AI and advanced computing for military applications. This included a ban on export of 24 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. China’s Ministry of Commerce promptly retaliated, announcing that it would ban the export to the US of dual use antimony, gallium and germanium products along with superhard materials for cutting tools to the US, and impose stricter export controls on dual-use graphite materials.
ASM secures A$5m government financing for Dubbo
Australian Strategic Minerals (ASM) has been awarded a A$5 million grant under the Australian Federal Government’s International Partnership in Critical Minerals (IPCM) Program.
The grant funding will be matched by ASM and used to progress work to identify alternative, capital efficient and nearer term options for producing rare earth elements at the Dubbo Project. The RE Options Assessment and Pilot Program will involve engineering, sampling, metallurgical testing, and a pilot program at ASM’s pilot facility located at ANSTO. In addition, ASM will be working with international partners to deliver the program of work.
This will help ASM make its final investment decision on the Dubbo Project, which is targeted for the first half of 2026.
UK spotlight on critical raw materials
The UK government is serious about critical raw materials and has approved trade financing for projects in third party countries that would support its CRM supply chains. The MMTA has been in discussions with the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre which has produced the new Criticality Assessment. We will address this further in the January Crucible.
