The Wall Street Journal has an editorial on efforts to counter China's weaponization of rare-earth minerals. The piece calls China's stranglehold on minerals supply chains "a serious problem."
Reuters reports that mineral mining companies are boosting their lobbying efforts in Washington, driven by a desire of a piece of the government investments that the Trump administration has announced, and has said it will continue to pursue.
Finally, the Department of War has called off a tender for cobalt procurement. In mid-August, the Defense Logistics Agency sought offers to procure up to 7,500 tonnes of cobalt over the next five years, under a contract valued at $500m, marking the US Government's first effort to acquire the metal since 1990. The DLA extended the deadline for offers several times, but has now withdrawn the tender. A notice on a US Government website stated: "There are outstanding issues with the Statement of Work that need resolution before offers may be solicited." Hopefully better news to come once the tender is reissued.
That's your mining minute for this morning, highlighting some of the mining-related matters that are on our minds here in Washington and beyond.
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