Weaning US off Chinese rare earths involves supply chain perks

Copper price up 37% from January's six-year low as Chinese concentrate and ore imports surge.

Just as quarterly benchmark negotiations between miners and Japanese steel mills kick off, the coking coal price comes off the boil.

The move is part of the new government's strategy to rebuild trust on the project following deadly protests that halted exports from the mine in October.

November cargoes up 31% to 380,000 tonnes in November compared to previous month.

At 92 million tonnes November iron ore imports were the third highest on record, while China's coal imports doubled during the month from a year ago.

"Iron ore is weird because the inventories are very high in China and it's got to be pure spec flows."

Based on the conglomerate's estimates, opening such plant would increase value of the product 35 times, comparing to what it could be obtained by just selling it as lithium carbonate.

Met coal's stunning run is reversing as consensus forecasts point to $125 drop by year-end, but new UN sanctions could cost China its number two supplier.

After buying ought out its two Japanese partners, Itochu Corp and Sumitomo Corp.