This Month
- Analysis
- Analysis
China-US clean energy trade war could get dirty
History suggests Beijing will reply in kind and lift tariffs on a range of American exports, which will raise the stakes once again in their long-running tit-for-tat tussle.
- Jessica Sier
How the west’s miners won over Canberra
The production tax credits on critical minerals processing unveiled in the federal budget were the result of months of careful negotiations that started with a meeting in Perth.
- Brad Thompson
- Opinion
- Federal budget
It’s right for Australia to join the critical minerals subsidy rush
The scepticism about government interventions is understandable. But this time, they are creating new industries of immense value.
- Warren Pearce
New US tariffs on China could help Australian critical minerals
It’s not just the federal budget that could boost Australia’s critical minerals exports, but also a new round of US tariffs on Chinese imports.
- Updated
- Matthew Cranston and Andrew Tillett
- Updated
- Federal budget
Miners hail tax credits but Coalition to block ‘billions for billionaires’
Australia’s critical minerals industry has hailed $13.7 billion in budget tax credits at the same time as the Coalition has vowed to block the policy claiming it will deliver “billions to billionaires”.
- Brad Thompson
Stellantis, Vale in nickel talks in Indonesian coup
The smelter deal would bring a rare Western investor to Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of a commodity critical to making electric cars.
- Updated
- A. Anantha Lakshmi and Harry Dempsey
- Exclusive
- Australia's China challenge
Meet Taiwan’s ‘matchmaker’ for Australian business
As Taiwan prepares to welcome a new president and bolster economic ties with Australia, the self-ruled island’s envoy issues a warning over Chinese coercion.
- Andrew Tillett
- Opinion
- Opinion
Albanese’s troubled critical minerals dream
The Albanese government has high hopes for much more downstream processing of critical minerals. But the numbers aren’t adding up. What can change that?
- Jennifer Hewett
April
Japan Inc backing for nickel mine puts BHP bailout in doubt
Sumitomo and Mitsubishi have agreed to back Ardea Resources and its $3.1 billion nickel laterite and cobalt project, about 80 kilometres from Kalgoorlie and BHP’s ageing nickel smelter.
- Brad Thompson
Macquarie, ANZ and Canva CEOs help power Australia’s India push
Governments hope to prevent another false dawn in bilateral trade and investment by getting business to work on policy.
- James Eyers
- Opinion
- Opinion
Where Australia is getting it wrong on critical minerals
A new report argues that the government’s focus on domestic production and exports is failing to adequately help develop a secure network of supply chains with other countries.
- Jennifer Hewett
Albanese adds $585m to Australia-made drive
The prime minister is travelling to Queensland to announce two critical minerals projects as part of his Made in Australia push.
- Phillip Coorey
Rio and BHP’s massive US copper mine faces religious freedom challenge
Resolution Copper would be the largest development of its kind. Native American groups opposed to it have found new financiers for legal action against it.
- Peter Ker
Last thing Australia needs ‘is another car industry’, warns MCA boss
Labor should lay off “steering” business, invest in R&D and work with, rather than against, trade partners, says Minerals Council CEO Tania Constable.
- Jacob Greber
Fears for 150 jobs as miner calls in administrators
Korda Mentha will try to sell the Abra lead and silver mine, raising doubts over the future of ASX-listed Galena Mining.
- Peter Ker
Green premiums are real, says aluminium boss
Electric vehicle makers are refusing to pay a green premium for low-carbon nickel but Capral says customers are paying an extra 5 per cent for clean aluminium.
- Peter Ker and Lap Phan
Country’s largest lithium mine unveils bumper $6.3b profit
The result at Greenbushes, the West Australian mine owned by Albemarle, Tianqi and IGO Limited, comes despite a slide in prices for the metal in the last year.
- Brad Thompson
March
Why EVs are such a big geopolitical deal
Policy changes in the US will have ramifications that will be felt far beyond the autoworkers of Detroit, Michigan.
- Matthew Cranston
‘Sell the rally’: Citi turns bearish on lithium
Citi has joined Goldman Sachs in calling for a correction in lithium prices, suggesting that it’s time for traders to take profits following the recent rally.
- Alex Gluyas
Mining rock stars Beament and Finlayson face their reinvention tests
The divergent paths taken by Bill Beament and Raleigh Finlayson over the past two years sum up Australian mining’s green transition. Who’s on the right track?
- Peter Ker