Iran and Israel trade accusations at UN shipping agency over sea lanes
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Suzuki Motor halted Swift production due to China’s rare earth curbs, sources say
Suzuki Motor’s (7269.T) suspension of production of its flagship Swift subcompact is due to China’s rare earth restrictions. The small car maker halted production of the Swift, excluding the Swift Sport version, from May 26 citing a shortage of components. Suzuki now expects a partial restart of production on June 13 with full resumption after June 16, as the “prospect of parts supply is clearer”
TOKYO, June 5 (Reuters) – Suzuki Motor’s (7269.T) , opens new tab suspension of production of its flagship Swift subcompact is due to China’s rare earth restrictions, two people familiar with the matter said, becoming the first Japanese automaker to be affected by the export curbs.
The small car maker halted production of the Swift, excluding the Swift Sport version, from May 26 citing a shortage of components.
Sign up here.
Plans to resume output have been pushed back several times. Suzuki now expects a partial restart of production on June 13 with full resumption after June 16, as the “prospect of parts supply is clearer” now, it said in a statement.
The company declined to comment on the reason for the suspension. The sources declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak on the matter.
China’s decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of rare earths and related magnets has upended the supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors.
Alarm over the situation has grown with global automakers warning of potential production halts.
Japan is planning to propose strengthening cooperation with the United States on rare earth supply chains in upcoming tariff talks, the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday
The Nikkei was the first to report on the reason for the Swift model suspension.
Reporting by Maki Shiraki in Tokyo and Aditi Shah in New Delhi; Additional reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim, Christopher Cushing and Edwina Gibbs
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
China to allow Brazil’s ethanol by-product amid Lula visit, US-China trade war
The deal underscores Brazil’s push to strengthen agricultural ties with China. It comes as rising domestic DDG production fuels the search for alternative markets. In 2024, the U.S. was nearly the sole supplier of DDGs to China, valued at $65.7 million. The deal is set to begin within the next two to three years for corn ethanol and DDG, coinciding with the opening of the Chinese market. It will also open up the market for turkey meat, chicken giblets and peanut meal, according to a statement from the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry. It is the first of a series of agreements between Brazil and China to allow the export of animal by-products.
Item 1 of 3 Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends the opening ceremony for the China-CELAC Forum ministerial meeting in Beijing, China May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool
BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters) – Brazil signed protocols with China on Tuesday to allow exports of an ethanol by-product used in animal feed, challenging U.S. dominance in the market amid the ongoing China-U.S. trade standoff.
The deal, outlined in a Brazilian government document viewed by Reuters, underscores Brazil’s push to strengthen agricultural ties with China as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visits the country, and as rising domestic DDG production fuels the search for alternative markets.
Sign up here.
Distillers dried grains (DDGs) are highly valued in animal feed, particularly for pigs, cattle, and poultry.
The president of Brazil’s National Corn Ethanol Union (UNEM) said in an interview with Reuters on Monday that Brazil and China have been working since 2022 to finalise a sanitary agreement for DDG exports, adding current “broad geopolitical shifts” present a favourable time to conclude the deal.
“It opens up an opportunity for Brazil to become another supplier, another option for China to source animal nutrition products. For us, it means re-establishing and strengthening the relationship between the Brazilian and Chinese markets, which share multiple mutual interests,” Guilherme Nolasco added.
In 2024, the United States was nearly the sole supplier of DDGs to China, dominating the market with 99.6% of imports by volume, valued at $65.7 million, the Chinese customs data showed.
According to Nolasco, over 10 new plants are under construction and set to begin production within the next two to three years for corn ethanol and DDG, coinciding with the opening of the Chinese market.
Last year, Brazilian DDG exports totalled $190.65 million and their main destinations were Vietnam, Turkey, New Zealand, Spain and Thailand, UNEM said in a statement.
Nolasco expects DDG production in Brazil to potentially reach up to 5 million tons in 2025/26.
Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro revealed in April that Brazil was nearing a deal with China to allow DDG exports.
In addition to DDG, Beijing agreed to open up for Brazilian exports of duck meat, turkey meat, chicken giblets and peanut meal, according to a statement from the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry.
“Under the leadership of President Lula, Brazil has achieved a historic feat,” Fávaro said in the statement referring to the success of trade talks.
Reporting by Ella Cao and Eduardo Baptista in Beijing; Additional reporting by Ana Mano in São Paulo; Editing by David Evans
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
US adds 10 more mining projects to fast-track permitting list
The projects – which would supply copper, palladium and other minerals – have been granted FAST-41 status. The initiative was launched in 2015 to streamline approvals of critical infrastructure. All of the projects are listed on a U.S. federal website where their permitting progress can be publicly tracked.
May 2 – The Trump administration on Friday added 10 more U.S. mining projects to a fast-track permitting list , opens new tab aimed at expanding critical minerals production across the country.
The projects – which would supply copper, palladium and other minerals – have been granted FAST-41 status, a federal initiative launched in 2015 to streamline approvals of critical infrastructure.
Sign up here.
The Trump administration last month had named an initial 10 projects to the list and said that more would be added in the future.
All of the projects are listed on a U.S. federal website , opens new tab where their permitting progress can be publicly tracked, part of what the administration calls a push for greater transparency and faster permitting.
President Donald Trump also last month ordered a probe into potential new tariffs on all U.S. critical minerals imports , a major escalation in his dispute with global trade partners and an attempt to pressure industry leader China.
Reporting by Ernest Scheyder Editing by Marguerita Choy
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Trump orders tariff probe on all US critical mineral imports
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a probe into potential new tariffs on all U.S.’s critical minerals imports. The move is a major escalation in his dispute with global trade partners and an attempt to pressure industry leader China. The order lays bare what manufacturers, industry consultants, academics and others have long warned Washington about. China is a top global producer of 30 of the 50 minerals considered critical and has been curtailing exports in recent months. The United States has only one rare earth mine and most of its supply of processed rare earths comes from China. and most processed rare Earths come from China, a move that further exacerbated concerns about supply concerns amongst U.N. officials. The review will assess how foreign actors could be distorting markets, and what steps could be taken to boost domestic supply and recycling, according to the order, which was issued by the White House. It is the same law Trump used in his first term to impose 25% global tariffs on steel and aluminum and one he used in February to launch a probe of potential copper tariffs.
Summary
Companies Order marks escalation in global trade conflict
US seen as overly reliant on others for critical minerals
Comes after launch of copper tariff probe in February
Administration cites national security grounds
April 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a probe into potential new tariffs on all U.S. critical minerals imports, a major escalation in his dispute with global trade partners and an attempt to pressure industry leader China.
The order lays bare what manufacturers, industry consultants, academics and others have long warned Washington about: that the U.S. is overly reliant on Beijing and others for processed versions of the minerals that power its entire economy.
Sign up here.
China is a top global producer of 30 of the 50 minerals considered critical by the U.S. Geological Survey, for example, and has been curtailing exports in recent months.
Trump signed an order directing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to begin a national security review under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. That is the same law Trump used in his first term to impose 25% global tariffs on steel and aluminum and one he used in February to launch a probe into potential copper tariffs
Asked for comment on the order, China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that “artificial interference in the supply chain violates the laws of the market economy and international trade rules.”
U.S. dependency on minerals imports “raises the potential for risks to national security, defense readiness, price stability, and economic prosperity and resilience,” Trump said in the order.
Within 180 days, Lutnick is required to report his findings to the president, including whether to impose tariffs. Were Trump to then impose a tariff on a nation’s critical minerals, the rate would supersede the “reciprocal” tariffs Trump imposed earlier this month, according to the White House.
The review will assess U.S. vulnerabilities for the processing of all critical minerals – including cobalt, nickel and the 17 rare earths, as well as uranium – how foreign actors could be distorting markets, and what steps could be taken to boost domestic supply and recycling, according to the order.
The U.S. currently extracts and processes scant amounts of lithium, has only one nickel mine but no nickel smelter, and has no cobalt mine or refinery. While it has several copper mines, the U.S. has only two copper smelters and is reliant on other nations to process that essential metal.
The probe may create an opportunity for some friendly supplier nations angling for exemptions, given Washington has previously flagged potential tariff carve outs for energy and other minerals that are not available domestically.
“Given Australia is a trusted supplier of critical minerals essential to U.S. industries, this investigation presents an opportunity for the nation to strengthen its position as a reliable supplier of these essential resources,” said Tania Constable, CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia.
“But we cannot afford to be complacent. Australia must negotiate a framework that delivers mutual benefit to both Australian producers and U.S. industries, while also continuing to forge and deepen strategic partnerships with other like-minded nations.”
Rare earths producer Australian Strategic Materials, which has been supported by U.S. government funding, welcomed any efforts to build an alternative supply chain for critical minerals, “particularly in the current environment where supply of critical minerals is dominated by one state player,” its CEO Rowena Smith told Reuters.
The company can support Washington in building domestic capability by replicating its Korean processing plant in the United States, she said.
The order is the latest in Trump’s effort to jumpstart U.S. minerals production and processing. The president last month signed an order directing federal agencies to create a list of U.S. mines that could be quickly approved and federal lands that could be used for minerals processing.
Still, it takes years to build a new mine and processing facility, which has sparked concern about where the U.S. could procure minerals were tariffs broadly imposed.
“Ultimately the U.S. gets certain minerals from China because there are not alternative supplies elsewhere,” said Gracelin Baskaran, director of the critical minerals security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
‘FULL SCOPE’
Beijing earlier this month placed export restrictions on rare earths in response to Trump’s tariffs, a move that further exacerbated supply concerns amongst Trump officials.
Rare earths are a group of 17 elements used across the defense, electric vehicle, energy and electronics industries. The United States has only one rare earths mine and most of its processed supply comes from China.
The restrictions from China were seen as the latest demonstration of the country’s ability to weaponize its dominance over the mining and processing of critical minerals after it put outright bans on the export of three other metals last year to the U.S. and imposed export controls on others.
Chinese mining companies across the globe have been flooding markets with cheap supplies of critical minerals like rare earths in recent years, fueling calls from industry and investors for Washington to support U.S. projects.
The White House also said Trump was focused on closing tariff loopholes. As with other products, the supply chain for critical minerals processing involves multiple countries.
“An effective policy should take into account the full scope of the supply chain to level the global playing field,” said Abigail Hunter, executive director of SAFE’s Center for Critical Minerals Strategy.
Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Additional reporting by Costas Pitas, Fransiska Nangoy, Melanie Burton and Amy Lv; Editing by Sonali Paul, Saad Sayeed and Tomasz janowski
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Share X
Link Purchase Licensing Rights
Exclusive: Vedanta weighs US listing to raise $1 billion for Zambian copper assets
Vedanta Resources, is considering a U.S. public listing for its Zambian unit Konkola Copper Mines. The miner, owned by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, has hired Barclays and Citigroup to advise on the plans for an initial public offering. Vedanta has said it wants to raise capital as part of its plans to gradually increase copper output to about 300,000 metric tons per year over the next five years. The discussions are at an early stage and a timeline had yet to be finalised, sources said. A spokesperson for Vedanta Resources declined to comment beyond saying various options were under consideration. The company is splitting its oil-to-metals conglomerate into five separate businesses, with plans to separately list the units. It could not immediately establish whether Global Transition Resources would be the entity to house the assets in question.
Summary
Companies Vedanta hires banks to advise on listing copper assets, sources say
New York is one option for the listing, sources say
Spokesperson says Vedanta considering various financing options
JOHANNESBURG, April 23(Reuters) – Vedanta Resources, is considering a U.S. public listing for its Zambian unit Konkola Copper Mines as one of its options to try to raise about $1 billion for mine development, three sources familiar with the details, told Reuters.
The miner, owned by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, has hired Barclays and Citigroup to advise on the plans for an initial public offering, said the sources, who declined to be named due to sensitivity around the discussions.
Sign up here.
Vedanta is considering New York as one of the options to list KCM, as the Zambian unit is known, the sources said.
They said the discussions were at an early stage and a timeline had yet to be finalised.
A spokesperson for Vedanta Resources declined to comment beyond saying various options were under consideration.
“We continue to evaluate a range of financing options, including internal accruals, debt instruments, and equity options, as we invest and grow our operations across the world,” the spokesperson said.
Citigroup declined to comment, while Barclays did not respond to emailed questions from Reuters.
Vedanta has said it wants to raise capital as part of its plans to gradually increase copper output to about 300,000 metric tons per year over the next five years.
KCM’s output dwindled as Agarwal fought a protracted legal battle to reclaim the assets after former Zambian president Edgar Lungu’s administration forced KCM into provisional liquidation. It had accused Vedanta of failing to invest to boost copper production.
Agarwal regained control of the copper mines, smelter and refinery last year.
Vedanta has since established a U.S.-based entity, Global Transition Resources Inc., which it said in a post on Linkedin produces copper, cobalt and gold in Africa.
Reuters could not immediately establish whether Global Transition Resources would be the entity to house the assets in question in the event of a U.S. listing.
Copper, with uses from power to construction, is in demand from the electric vehicle sector and new applications such as data centres for artificial intelligence.
Vedanta said KCM holds one of the world’s highest grade deposits of copper, together with reserves of about 400,000 tons of cobalt, another mineral needed for the transition to cleaner energy.
Since recovering the assets from the Zambian government, Vedanta has secured short-term financing and started paying debts to local creditors , including bills for supplies of electricity, which had built up during the period. It also increased spending on the communities surrounding the mines.
Vedanta last year attempted to sell a stake to United Arab Emirates-based International Resources Holding (IRH), but the deal collapsed due to valuation differences, Reuters reported.
A separate process to sell at least a 30% equity stake in the mines had not been successful, leaving listing as one of the most viable options, one of the sources said.
Vedanta is splitting its oil-to-metals conglomerate into five separate businesses, with plans to separately list the units.
Reporting by Felix Njini in Johannesburg; Additional reporting by Hritam Mukherjee; Editing by Veronica Brown and Barbara Lewis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab