Raw materials once again made waves in global politics this week. U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to revive the domestic coal industry, while resource-rich Uzbekistan secured multiple deals in the critical minerals sector with U.S. companies. Meanwhile, chemical giant Solvay announced an expansion of its rare earth production at its French facility—the details in our roundup:
U.S. Energy Policy: Trump Aims to Revive Domestic Coal Industry
With the goal of reviving the domestic coal industry, Donald Trump signed several executive orders on Tuesday. Early in his presidency, Trump had already announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and halted the issuance of new licenses for wind energy projects on federal land. These developments are also expected to affect the demand for raw materials.
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Explainer: New Export Restrictions on Heavy Rare Earths
Last week, China tightened export regulations on seven heavy rare earth elements — a move that could have far-reaching implications for global supply chains. But which elements are now under stricter scrutiny, and what are they actually used for? We break down these questions and more in our latest article.
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Solvay Expands Rare Earth Production at La Rochelle
Chemical company Solvay announced on Tuesday the commencement of commercial production of Neodymium-Praseodymium (NdPr) at its La Rochelle facility in France. NdPr is a crucial precursor for producing permanent magnets, which are widely used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and other high-tech applications. Previously, the La Rochelle plant primarily produced rare earth products for catalyst applications.
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Uzbekistan and U.S. Sign Critical Mineral Business Agreements
Uzbekistan has signed several agreements with U.S. businesses, spanning the entire critical minerals value chain from exploration to processing. Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the importance of Uzbekistan’s resource sector as a key driver in advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries.
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