February 2, 2026 Pentagon strikes deal with Canada’s 5N Plus The US Department of Defense made an $18 million investment in Canada’s 5N Plus to help the company expand refining capacity for germanium metal.
January 30, 2026 More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in east Congo, official says Rubaya produces around 15% of the world's coltan, which is processed into tantalum.
January 30, 2026 Australia says US price floor backdown won’t derail its critical minerals strategy Australia has been positioning itself as a critical minerals alternative to China.
January 29, 2026 From copper to selenium: Chile maps critical minerals Chile’s first national strategy outlines how it plans to secure supply chains and expand its role in mining for emerging technologies.
January 29, 2026 US moves away from critical mineral price floors US mining and processing companies have pushed for price floors and other government backstops to help them compete with China.
January 26, 2026 US agrees to buy 10% of USA Rare Earth in $1.6B deal The proposed investment comprises $277 million in federal funding and $1.3 billion in senior secured loan.
January 21, 2026 Korea Zinc says US smelter’s waste pile has $3 billion in metal The company bought the Nyrstar processing plant in Clarksville, Tennessee, and now plans to invest $7.4 billion to expand and refurbish it.
January 16, 2026 Krypton in zircon grains reveals landscapes’ history and potential future, researchers say By measuring the krypton, the Curtin University team was able to work out how long zircon grains spent near the Earth’s surface before they were buried, like a ‘cosmic clock’.
January 14, 2026 Congo readies to pitch mineral projects to US investors Deal tied to a US-brokered peace effort aims to loosen China’s grip on key metals vital to batteries and defence tech.
January 12, 2026 ATALCO secures investment from US, Pinnacle affiliate to boost alumina, gallium output ATALCO expects to boost output to more than 1 million metric tons of alumina annually and produce up to 50 metric tons of gallium per year.
Rising investment to keep global silver demand steady in 2026, Silver Institute says The silver market is heading for a sixth consecutive year of structural deficit. February 10, 2026 | 09:31 am
