Uncertainty around the charter has deterred investment into a sector that accounts for 8 percent of gross domestic product in the world's top platinum producer.
The sale of Vale stakes has been a subject of market speculation since the world's largest iron ore miner moved to a single class of stock in October. Mitsui currently holds a 5.51 percent stake in Vale.
Prices of steelmaking raw materials dropped to multi-week lows on Thursday as a festering trade row between China and the United States kept risk appetite low.
"Our priority is to develop our existing lithium deposit in Argentina. But we are also looking for other deposits in Chile, Argentina and Brazil,"- Eramet Chief Executive Officer Christel Bories
Nigeria will offer a 12.7 billion naira ($41.6 million) mining contract to eight companies in exploration and consultancy, its junior mining minister said on Wednesday.
Billionaire Anil Agarwal faces investor resistance to his $1 billion bid to buy out minority shareholders in Vedanta Resources and take the London-listed Indian miner private.
Oil prices rose on Tuesday after Libya declared force majeure on some of its crude exports, while the loss of Canadian supplies helped lifted U.S. crude to 3-1/2-year highs.
