A Blog for Browsing Mining, Mineral Processing, and Metals Info

BHP Billiton boss Andrew Mackenzie says he is optimistic about Australia’s economic prospects, despite the departure of the car makers and last week’s closure of the Alcoa smelter at Point Henry.

But Mr Mackenzie told Channel Nine’s Financial Review Sunday program the swath of job losses in manufacturing highlighted the importance of the nation uniting behind a single productivity agenda.

Mr Mackenzie has been particularly upbeat about the future of the Australian economy since taking over as chief executive in May, and his mantra that Australia still has ”everything to play for” has often been at odds with the gloomy prognoses of federal governments.

Mr Mackenzie has regularly urged Australia to help itself by reforming industrial relations, taxes and its productivity performance, and said the high-profile corporate closures were a reminder of that.

Read more at: http://www.smh.com.au/business/bhp-billiton-ceo-andrew-mackenzie-economy-is-sound-20140223-33agc.html#ixzz2u9ek92Vi

Data released on Tuesday showed German manufacturing orders surged ahead of economists’ forecasts in June, and a reading on U.K. industrial production also beat estimates. The data were the latest in a set of recent data on the health of the global economy that have propped up expectations for copper demand.

The German data in particular gave copper “a decent boost,” said Michael Turek, a director of metals with brokerage Newedge.

Data out of the U.S. last week showed the pace of manufacturing-sector growth last month was the greatest since June 2011, while a similar reading on China showed the sector there returned to growth in July. The metal is used in a wide range of products, including automobiles, wiring and plumbing, making prices sensitive to shifts in economic-growth expectations.

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130806-709041.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Tokyo, June 19, 2013 – (JCN Newswire) – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. agreed with TDK Corporation and Japan Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd. (JMC) to jointly pursue the reuse of a rare earth metal extracted from nickel-metal hydride batteries in hybrid vehicles for magnets of new hybrid vehicle motors.

http://www.japancorp.net/press-release/26921/honda-to-reuse-rare-earth-metal-extracted-from-nickel-metal-hydride-batteries-in-hybrid-vehicles-for-the-motors-for-hybrid-vehicle-motors