Free Republic

KOLWEZI, Democratic Republic of Congo — Little about Kolwezi, a small city in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, hints at its global importance. Nondescript and ringed by slag heaps, pits and quarry lakes, the city is home to some of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world. Now, Kolwezi is at the center of U.S.-Chinese competition over critical minerals. Earlier this year, mining firms began shipping ore along a U.S.-backed railway that terminates in Angola's Atlantic port of Lobito. A massive infrastructure project is focused on this rail line -- which is viewed as a bid to counter...

Why is the United States reliant on China and Russia for strategic minerals when we have more of these valuable resources than both these nations combined? This has nothing to do with geological impediments. It is all politics. This is an underreported scandal that jeopardizes American security. As recently as 1990, the U.S. was No. 1 in the world in mining output. But according to the latest data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. is 100 percent import dependent for at least 20 critical and strategic minerals (not including each of the "rare earths"), and between 50 and 99...

A load of copper worth nearly $600,000 was recovered on Sept. 11 after investigators followed a trail from Illinois to Kentucky and Ohio, wrapping up the initial search only about eight hours after the theft was reported, according to Yahoo News. The case began when a shipment scheduled to travel from DeKalb, Illinois, to Rock Hill, South Carolina, never made it toward its intended destination. Authorities believe whoever collected the freight had presented themselves as an established trucking company, using genuine business information to make the pickup appear legitimate. The breakthrough came from location data tied to Schneider National equipment...

President Trump’s new Greenland security deal comes just 17 days after a US-based company quietly closed a deal to purchase a Greenland mining company that would produce more than a third of the world’s rare earth magnet supply outside of China. On Sept. 1, Greenland Mines, a NASDAQ listed US-aligned firm headquartered in North Carolina, closed a deal for the Sarfartoq Rare Earths Project in southwest Greenland. The company announced that it planned to produce NdPr oxide – a compound of neodymium and praseodymium used in the manufacturing of magnets for EVs and wind turbines, as well as defense capabilities....

An elite group of Ukrainian drone operators is hunting Russians from desert dugouts across Africa, as Kyiv wages a proxy war to bleed strongman Vladimir Putin’s global army. Moscow has deployed about 5,000 troops across Mali, Sudan and Libya to back coup-installed military dictatorships and warlords since 2020 — as Putin has tried to fill the void left by Western forces’ withdrawal and assert himself as a power player — often in exchange for lucrative mining rights. And Ukraine has worked alongside local rebels to fight off those same Russians forces in an effort to forge new alliances against Moscow....

China is planning to restrict exports of a key mineral needed to make weapons while a U.S. company that could be reducing America’s reliance on foreign suppliers is languishing in red tape, energy experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Chinese government announced on August 15 that it will restrict exports of antimony, a critical mineral that dominates the production of weapons globally and is essential for producing equipment like munitions, night vision goggles and bullets that are essential to national security, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Perpetua Resources, an American mining company, has...

hina buys up the bullion, the relevance of paper markets on Comex (and London) is shrinking. Liquidity and relevance of paper gold and silver relative to bullion are diminishing. This market report analyses why open interest on Comex has declined to multi-year lows and the consequences. Clearly, liquidity has been drained from western paper markets by the continual drift of bullion into firm Asian hands. We present evidence of the strains on market makers on Comex who have limited capital resources and we debate the consequences. Open interest is now at multi-year lows This week saw open interest in the...

119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8007 To amend the Commodity Exchange Act to reduce systemic risk while increasing geographical diversity and competition with respect to depositories for the storage of precious metals, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 19, 2026 Mr. Fulcher (for himself and Mr. Harris of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Commodity Exchange Act to reduce systemic risk while increasing geographical diversity and competition with respect to depositories for the storage of precious metals, and for other purposes. Be...

In Greek mythology, Cassandra was granted the power to see the future, but cursed so that no one would believe her. She warned of disaster repeatedly, only to be ignored until tragedy struck. Today, the United States has its own modern-day Cassandras, and once again our warnings are being dismissed. Knowledgeable experts have cautioned that our nation’s fiscal path is unsustainable. Federal budget documents themselves have repeatedly sounded the alarm. Credit rating agencies have raised increasingly serious concerns. Despite these warnings, Washington continues to behave as though time is unlimited and there are no consequences to continuing to ignore the...

President Donald Trump has kicked off $12 billion project to stockpile critical minerals used by the defense and technology sectors as a hedge against Chinese dominance of the strategically important industry in what the White House will call “Project Vault.” The public-private effort — first reported by Bloomberg — would use $1.67 billion in private seed funds and combine that cash with another $10 billion from the U.S. government’s Export-Import Bank for the purchase and storage of critical minerals and rare earths such as gallium and cobalt, a key ingredient in rechargeable batteries as well as modern jet engines used...

For those asking in the comments, Dr. James Tour's company that he references is Metallium Ltd. Ticker symbol in the US is MTMCF. (This is NOT a sponsored episode. We have no financial relationship with Dr. Tour's company. We just think his tech sounds really cool.) == In a few years, America may not need to buy critical minerals from China anymore, says synthetic chemist and nanotechnologist James Tour. Why? Because of a method called flash Joule heating that he and his team have been studying at Rice University. China currently has a near monopoly on global processing capacity of...

National Resources Limited claims massive new gold and copper discovery, raising hopes for a mining bonanza and fears of local conflict At the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025, Muhammad Ali Tabba, chairman of National Resources Limited (NRL) and CEO of Lucky Cement, unveiled what he claimed are hitherto unknown substantial gold and copper reserves in Balochistan’s Chagai district. Announced in the company of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Muhammad Asim Munir, Tabba’s claimed discovery signals a potential turning point for Pakistan’s laggard mining industry at a time global gold prices are touching record highs of over...

By Leslie Hook Financial Times, London Thursday, November 6, 2025 The U.S. Department of the Interior has added copper, silver, and metallurgical coal to its list of "critical minerals," increasing the likelihood that these materials could be included in future tariff policies. The three materials are among 10 elements added today to the list, which is updated every three years by the U.S. Geological Survey. The list determines which minerals are included in the upcoming Section 232 tariff review of levies applied for national security purposes. It also plays a role in determining which domestic projects may receive federal support....

Executive order effective September 8 exempts gold bullion, graphite, tungsten, and uranium while extending reciprocal tariffs to silicone products, resin, and aluminum hydroxide.The Trump administration exempted graphite, tungsten, uranium, and gold bullion from US country-based reciprocal tariffs, while adding levies on silicone products—and extending those tariffs to resin and aluminum hydroxide.The move, set to take effect today under an executive order, formalizes the planned bullion carve-out after a recent US Customs and Border Protection ruling sowed confusion by implying certain gold bars could face import taxes.TRUMP EXEMPTS GRAPHITE, TUNGSTEN, URANIUM & GOLD FROM COUNTRY-BASED TARIFFS; SILICONE PRODUCTS TO FACE LEVIES—...

In a groundbreaking moment for the American mining industry, the Fluor Corporation has confirmed the feasibility of large rare earth element deposits at Ramaco Resources’ Brook Mine in Wyoming. This announcement marks a significant step towards redefining the United States’ position in the critical minerals market. The confirmation by Fluor not only solidifies the economic potential of the Brook Mine but also positions Ramaco Resources as a key player in reducing the country’s dependency on foreign sources of rare earth elements. Ramaco Resources, initially known for its operations as a metallurgical coal miner, was thrust into the spotlight with this...

A new multi-cohort study has found that exposure to certain metals, detected in urine, is associated with a higher risk of heart failure (HF). "In our analysis of over 10,000 adults we observed consistent associations between elevated urinary metal levels and increased HF risk over long-term follow-up." The study pooled data from three large cohorts with more than 20 years of follow-up. Key findings included: —Higher levels of the mixture of five metals in urine—arsenic, cadmium, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc—were associated with a 55% higher risk of heart failure in rural American Indian adults (SHS), a 38% higher risk in...

Chinese price manipulation has taken its toll on the U.S. economy Rare earth metals are an increasingly integral part of everything from automobiles to television sets.  But the precious metals are tightly controlled by China, with an excess of 95 percent of current suplly coming from Chinese-owned mines and refineries.  The degree of control has allowed China to manipulate prices, cutting back on demand to sell less material for the same amount of profit, any businessperson's dream. I. New Private-Public Partnership Sets Aim on Chinese Mineral Hegemony The problem is that it takes several years or more to bring rare...

Can the U.S. be trusted with German gold? That’s a question being asked by some German officials. Germany ranks second in gold reserves behind the U.S. It officially holds 3,352 tonnes of gold with about 1,236 tonnes (37 percent) held in Federal Reserve vaults in the U.S. Some are wondering whether holding over €100 billion in gold so far away is wise, given the geopolitical climate. European Taxpayers’ Association spokesperson Michael Jäger told The Bild that Germany should bring that gold home. “The Bundesbank and the federal government must show foresight in this phase of global political power shifts and...

Scientists have identified a mechanism through which important metals, crucial to the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies, are passed from the Earth’s mantle to the crust. The team, including researchers from Cardiff University, has discovered a ‘Goldilocks zone’ at the base of the Earth’s crust where the temperate is just right at around 1000°C for metals to be transported to shallower levels near the surface, where they can be mined. The metals in question – most notably copper, cobalt, tellurium, and platinum – are highly-sought after due to their use in electrical wiring and technologies such as battery storage devices,...

Claim: Gold miners discovered the largest gold deposits in Ghana (X video)