Latest news with #rareearthminerals
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Rare earths, real stakes: New Deloitte report highlights strategic importance of rare earth minerals in global energy transition
As clean energy demand skyrockets, the report unpacks how rare earth minerals are becoming the geopolitical and environmental fulcrum of the global decarbonization effort, and why governments and industries must act fast to secure sustainable, diversified supply chains. Rare earth needs linked to clean energy technologies are expected to grow by 300–700% by 2040. Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Deloitte's report, Rare Earth Minerals and Their Role in the Energy Transition, highlights the critical role these elements play in driving the shift to a low-carbon future. The report explores rising demand, geopolitical complexities, and sustainability challenges, offering actionable insights for governments, industries, and stakeholders invested in the clean energy economy. Rare earth minerals, used in technologies from electric vehicle (EV) motors to wind turbines and advanced electronics, are set to become even more vital as the world accelerates its transition to renewable energy. The report projects a substantial increase in demand; rare earth needs linked to clean energy technologies are expected to grow by 300–700% by 2040. However, it also warns of supply chain vulnerabilities, as the majority of these essential materials are processed in a few key regions, such as China, which dominates 90% of rare earth processing globally. 'Rare earth minerals are central to the energy transition but the environmental impact of extraction and processing needs to be carefully considered,' said Alexios Zachariadis, Partner at Deloitte Middle East. 'The rising demand for these materials underscores the need for global collaboration to ensure reliable, sustainable supply chains. Governments and industries must move quickly to secure investment in diverse supply sources, pursue technological solutions, and uphold environmental safeguards. This is critical not just for decarbonization, but for maintaining energy security and geopolitical stability.' The report highlights the growing reliance on rare earths for renewable energy technologies. For example, electric vehicles require six times more mineral inputs than traditional internal combustion engines. Direct-drive wind turbines, known for their high efficiency, also depend heavily on rare earth magnets. This dependency poses challenges, especially given the environmental impact of mining and processing rare earths, which can result in land degradation, water contamination, and toxic waste if not managed responsibly. China's dominant position in rare earth extraction and processing adds further complexity. While the country accounted for 60% of rare earth supply, it has also been investing heavily in global supply chains, raising concerns about potential trade restrictions and supply disruptions. This has prompted efforts in regions such as the United States, Europe, and the Middle East to diversify sourcing, develop recycling technologies, and explore alternative materials. The Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, is emerging as a key player in diversifying rare earth supply. The country's investments align with its broader Vision 2030 goals to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. However, potential projects in arid regions will need to address significant environmental and resource challenges, such as water scarcity and high energy costs. 'As the energy transition accelerates, the importance of rare earth sustainability will only grow,' added Zachariadis. 'Stakeholders must address the dual imperatives of reducing environmental impact and securing long-term supply. Innovations in recycling, advanced extraction methods, and alternative materials will be vital in ensuring the energy transition is both equitable and environmentally sustainable.' The Deloitte report also emphasizes the role of policymakers in creating clear frameworks to encourage investment in rare earth supply chains. By defining regulatory goals and standards, governments can help foster industry trust and innovation to accelerate cleaner, more efficient technologies. Looking ahead, the study identifies opportunities for industries to lead the charge in reducing dependency on rare earths. Automakers, for instance, are developing alternative EV technologies that require fewer minerals or rely on substitutes. Tesla and other companies are making advancements in externally excited synchronous motors that avoid the use of rare earth magnets, offering potential paths to mitigate supply risks. Rare Earth Minerals and Their Role in the Energy Transition paints a picture of both opportunity and urgency, outlining the strategic actions required to unlock the full potential of rare earths while safeguarding the environment. About Deloitte & Touche (M.E.) LLP: Deloitte & Touche (M.E.) LLP ('DME') is the affiliate for the territories of the Middle East and Cyprus of Deloitte NSE LLP ('NSE'), a UK limited liability partnership and member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ('DTTL'). DME is a leading professional services organization established in the Middle East region with uninterrupted presence since 1926. DME's presence in the Middle East region is established through its affiliated independent legal entities, which are licensed to operate and to provide services under the applicable laws and regulations of the relevant country. DME's affiliates and related entities cannot oblige each other and/or DME, and when providing services, each affiliate and related entity engages directly and independently with its own clients and shall only be liable for its own acts or omissions and not those of any other affiliate. DME provides services throughout 23 offices in 15 countries with more than 7,000 partners, directors and staff. About Deloitte: Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited ('DTTL'), its global network of member firms, and their related entities (collectively, the 'Deloitte organization'). DTTL (also referred to as 'Deloitte Global') and each of its member firms and related entities are legally separate and independent entities, which cannot obligate or bind each other in respect of third parties. DTTL and each DTTL member firm sand related entity is liable only for its own acts and omissions, and not those of each other. DTTL, NSE and DME do not provide services to clients. Deloitte provides Audit & Assurance, Tax & Legal and Consulting and related services to nearly 90% of the Fortune Global 500® and thousands of private companies. Our professionals deliver measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in capital markets, enable clients to transform and thrive, and lead the way toward a stronger economy, a more equitable society and a sustainable world. Building on its 175-plus year history, Deloitte spans more than 150 countries and territories.
Globe and Mail
21-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Why TMC The Metals Company Skyrocketed Last Week
Key Points TMC The Metals Company stock surged 16.5% and is now up more than 580% year to date. The stock's big gains are being driven by expectations that the company will receive approval to begin its seabed mining operations. Adversarial relations between the U.S. and China have created a backdrop that has made TMC's seabed mining capabilities more valuable. 10 stocks we like better than TMC The Metals Company › TMC The Metals Company (NASDAQ: TMC) stock posted strong gains over the past week of trading. The seabed mining specialist's share price rose 16.3% over the stretch. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index climbed 0.6%. While there wasn't any major news for the company in the week, TMC stock continued to see strong bullish momentum thanks to the possibility that the company will score a major regulatory approval in the not-too-distant future. Its share price has skyrocketed 158% over the past three months and 582% year to date. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » Investors stay bullish on TMC's seabed mining bet In light of tense relations between the U.S. and China, access to rare earth minerals has become a key strategic priority for the Trump administration. The dynamic has helped to power huge gains for TMC stock, and its share price booked another week of big gains this week despite no fresh bullish news developments. In April, President Trump signed an executive order to accelerate the the review process for mining applications. TMC quickly submitted its first application for seabed mining approval, and investors have been betting that the company could soon be given the go-ahead to commence operations. Could recent Nvidia news derail TMC's rally? Despite posting strong gains in this week's trading, there may have actually been a significant bearish development for the mining specialist. After a meeting between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and President Trump, the artificial intelligence (AI) hardware leader announced that it was on track to receive export licenses to sell its H20 processors in China. The sale of the processors into the Chinese market was effectively banned by the Trump administration earlier this year, but it looks like the export licenses are now being granted as part of ongoing trade negotiations. U.S. government officials have said that the shift on the export license stance is connected to negotiations to secure access to Chinese rare earth minerals. While a deal on rare earth minerals could cause substantial volatility for TMC stock, it's also likely that the U.S. will still continue making moves to bolster its domestic mineral sourcing capabilities. Should you invest $1,000 in TMC The Metals Company right now? Before you buy stock in TMC The Metals Company, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and TMC The Metals Company wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $652,133!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,056,790!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,048% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025
CTV News
19-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Eric Ham: As Trump challenges China for superiority of rare earth minerals, Canada suffers
The fight for rare earth minerals is pitting the world's two biggest economies in a race for global supremacy, and Canada is getting squeezed, says Washington political analyst Eric Ham in a column. (iStock / Getty Images Plus / wildpixel) Eric Ham is based in Washington, D.C. and is a political analyst for CTV News. He's a bestselling author and former congressional staffer in the U.S. Congress and writes for The fight for rare earth minerals pits the world's two biggest economies in a race for global supremacy. Moreover, as this back-and-forth unfurls, U.S. President Donald Trump's willingness to blow up longstanding norms, relationships, and treatises underscores the lengths Washington and Beijing are prepared to go for domination. Plans are already being designed for a U.S. takeover of Greenland. Yet, more dastardly and no doubt troubling, is Trump's fanciful ambitions of an American annexation of Canada. Since the president's historic victory last November, the former reality television star has unleashed a barrage of nihilistic attacks on the United States' northern neighbour. Beijing's weaponization of its global leading bounty of rare earth minerals has the White House desperate to catch up — and it is now Ottawa and its 150-year history and alliance with America that stands on the precipice of potential erasure. Rare earth mineral, tellurium Refined tellurium is shown in Magna, Utah in a Wednesday, May 11, 2022 photo. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Rick Bowmer) Since his surprise victory in 2016, Trump has always made it known his desires to bring Greenland under the flag of American sovereignty. Citing national security reasons for this questionable idea, most within foreign policy circles simply dismissed the thought as the incoherent ramblings of a novice and capricious politician, unsophisticated in the ways of geopolitics. However, since his return to Washington, Trump, to the surprise of many, has only added to the list of nations he wants under U.S. control. Beyond the annexation of Greenland, the president has expressed desires to also control the Panama Canal and Canada. Not stopping there, the Trump administration is also eyeing dominance of the Arctic. The successful passage of the recently enshrined law, the Big Beautiful Bill Act, allocates US$8.6 billion to increase the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker fleet where Washington hopes to counter rising Russian and Chinese dominance. Recognizing the U.S. is woefully lagging China's unmatched economic pre-eminence, the White House is making aggressively bold overtures to close the gap. Takeover bids and brazen confrontations are now the weapons of choice being used to counter Beijing's strength. Tariffs might be the signature economic policy of this administration but clearly, they are a means to an end. No doubt, the tariffs are meant to paralyze and destabilize nations and regions by crippling economies and markets forcing them to bend to the will and might of America's newest strongman. Rare earth mine in China In this Dec. 30, 2010, photo, workers use machinery to dig at a rare earth mine in Ganxian county in central China's Jiangxi province. (Chinatopix via AP) Trump telegraphed such maneuvers early in his second term when ratcheting up takeover talks specifically of Greenland and Canada. Now, as China and the U.S. intensify their trade war, Beijing has wielded its secret weapon with efficient precision. Imposing new export controls on seven rare earth elements, China's demonstration of its economic and political muscle further revealed America's weakness in its ongoing imbroglio with the Asian superpower. In an audacious, if not reckless effort to catch up, Trump has turned to the quixotic and fatalistic notion that bringing Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal under U.S. sovereignty will shorten the distance with its economic rival. Yet, Beijing's approach to its accumulation of critical minerals — that power everything from fighter jets to missiles, electric vehicles to drones and even wind turbines — was done without firing so much as a warning shot; not even a belligerent or antagonistic remark was made. In fact, its overtures to join its silk and road initiative (BRI) was seen as too attractive for many nations to pass up. Contrast that with Washington's hard power approach, which has already backfired spectacularly, as evidenced by the nationalistic fervour and resistance orchestrated by both Canadians and Greenlanders, to come under the U.S. flag. Prime Minister Mark Carney, with great aplomb, directly dismissed a Washington takeover during his inaugural meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. A recent survey by the Angus Reid Institute shows that when it comes to current negotiations with the United States, 'Three-in-five respondents said Canada should take a hard approach at 63 per cent, rather than a soft one, at 37 per cent.' The data was taken before and after Trump's announcement of the new 35-per-cent tariff. Additionally, the survey stated that when it comes to supply management, half of Canadians want Ottawa negotiators to stand firm, even if it means retaliation. More importantly, on the critical issue of rare earth minerals, perhaps the sole overarching reason Trump is ready to wage war with America's century-old neighbour: two-thirds (66%) say no to offering the U.S. first priority on critical minerals. Trump learned, perhaps too late, that for nearly two decades, U.S. critical mineral supply chains were 'too concentrated, too fragile, and too exposed' to Chinese leverage and control. Now, in a fruitless race to level the playing field, the president is waging economic warfare against allies, neighbours, and friends. His historic blow-up at the White House, lashing out at Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelensky, was largely fuelled by frustration the embattled European leader was stalling on an agreement of military assistance in exchange for American control of Ukraine's mineral resources. However, now the deal is finalized, the president recently announced the sale of Patriot systems to European and NATO allies to provide to Kyiv in its ongoing war against Russia. Still, the historic deal does very little to dent China's dominance over the United States. Trump, though touting the agreement as a massive win for the U.S., very acutely knows it is not enough to shore up American supply chain vulnerabilities — not if, but when, China chooses to act. Threats to national sovereignty; unceasing ignominious characterizations of a relationship that has been a shining beacon of cooperation and mutual benefit for more than a century; and now, economic policies that are posing threats not just to perceived enemies but to American consumers. Trump's efforts to lead the nation back from its second-tier status against China is noble, but in waging war against Beijing, Trump's misguided efforts now has America's allies catching strays and it is the nation's biggest trading partner, Canada, suffering the most.
Bloomberg
15-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
China Chip Curb Revisions Could Preview More Rare Earths Trade
Anna Ashton, a former China analyst with the Defense Department, says the administration's reversal on sales of some semiconductors to China and other rollbacks of export controls may indicate an increase in willingness to deal in rare earth minerals between the US and China. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
10-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Ramaco Resources CEO: We Are in a Mineral War with China
Ramaco Resources Inc. shares rose as much as 30%, the most intraday since March, after Fluor Corp. completed a preliminary economic assessment of the company's Brook Mine. Ramaco's mine is set to open the mine tomorrow alongside U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman and former U.S. Senator and Ramaco Board member Joe Manchin. Randall Atkins said rare earth minerals can be found in coal, and he expects the mine to expect to be able to provide these essential materials for decades to come. (Source: Bloomberg)
