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

#China, the world’s largest #RareEarth producer and exporter, will complete a major restructuring move by mid-2016 to consolidate the industry, an official said Friday.

The work on forming rare earth blocs will be finished by the end of June to restructure the country’s rare-earth assets, said Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology, at a symposium.

Read more at: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=318172

#China set two notable records last year in terms of its metals trade with the rest of the world.

It exported record amounts of #Aluminium in the form of semi-manufactured products, a sign of domestic market glut that no-one seems to think is going to end any time soon.

But the country also imported more refined #Copper than ever before, an outcome that was even more surprising given another record year for imports of copper concentrates.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/china-trade-ahome-idUSL8N15C3B0

#Freeport-#McMoRan Inc.’s export license in #Indonesia, allowing the #US #Copper producer to ship concentrates from its #Grasberg mine, has expired without extension, said Bambang Gatot Ariyono, director general of minerals and coal at the Energy & Mineral Resources Ministry.

Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-28/freeport-indonesia-s-export-permit-expires-without-extension

The State-Owned Enterprises Ministry is looking to book higher royalty incomes from state-run #Miners this year, despite unfavorable commodity prices that put pressure on the financial performance of mining firms last year.

– See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/27/higher-royalties-sought-state-miners.html#sthash.4fC7bxFO.dpuf

#Chile is pushing forward with new policies to develop its vast #Lithium reserves, the government said on Monday, at a time when prices for the battery ingredient have been rising rapidly.

One of the government’s first moves in the mostly private sector industry would be a call to tender the exploration of two salt flats owned by state-run #Codelco, the world’s biggest #Copper producer.

Read more at: http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL2N15915I

The collapse of #ClivePalmer’s #Queensland #Nickel business has compounded fears of civil strife in #NewCaledonia should the #French territory’s key mining customer go under completely.

Read more at: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jan/20/new-caledonia-fears-civil-unrest-after-collapse-of-clive-palmers-nickel-refinery

“It is potentially the beginning of a wave of closures,” says Nicholas Snowdon, an analyst at Standard Chartered. “But that’s contingent on producers moving away from their strategy of waiting for other producers to cut. Not just with #Nickel but right across base metals.”

Almost 70 per cent of nickel producers are making a loss at current prices. In #Aluminium a third are losing money, and in copper the figure is about 22 per cent, according to Australian investment bank #Macquarie.

Read more at:http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/949bf1ce-becd-11e5-9fdb-87b8d15baec2.html#axzz3xn4cldUr

The urbanisation of #India and its swelling middle class will step in to fill the breach as #China’s economic growth slows, according to the resources minister, Josh Frydenberg.

Read more at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/20/india-will-step-up-as-chinas-economy-slows-says-josh-frydenberg

#Indonesia is eyeing the investment and industrial relocation that is likely to flow from #China because of the country’s transformation from being an investment-based economy into a consumption-based one.

– See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/18/indonesia-eyes-capital-flight-china.html#sthash.XPjxtSt9.dpuf

The #Chilean state-owned company is implementing an ambitious $22 billion multi-year investment plan to open new mine projects, like #Ministro #Hales, and revamp older ones such as #ElTeniente.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-codelco-copper-idUSKCN0UT2CR