China’s Weiming to invest in $400 million Indonesia nickel matte project

The outlook comes after China's Tsingshan Group surprised the market last year with a low-cost estimate and short time frame to launch a $700 million plant on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Electric car and battery maker BYD counts Warren Buffet among its investors and is also German automaker Daimler AG's partner in China.

Attempts to replace copper in a lithium-ion battery's anode with aluminum have failed so far, which bodes well for major copper miners.

Iron ore’s poised to hit $100 a ton, according to Citigroup, which highlighted “very, very low” seaborne cargoes just as data from China may show a pick-up in demand.

One of China’s top commodity traders is reportedly offloading refined copper at below-market rates and using the metal as collateral in financing agreements with banks.

The world’s second-largest economy expanded its gold reserves for the fourth straight month, adding to optimism that central banks globally will continue to build holdings.

In China, premiums of about $13-$15 were being charged over the benchmark, marginally higher than last week's $12-$14 range.

It’s high quality and the price is a bargain, but the risk may be too great for Chinese buyers looking for a quick profit.

A mix of political populism, higher commodity prices and the expectation electrification will spur demand for raw materials has led governments to change the rules for miners operating in their countries.