The Gabonese government aims to increase total rail freight volume from approximately 9 million tonnes per year currently to 21 million tonnes per year by 2029.
On July 21, 2026, Kitco News published an interview with Sameer Samana, Wells Fargo's global head of equity and real asset strategy.
On July 15, 2026, three pieces of news with not entirely aligned directions emerged in the copper market on the same day, worth reading together.
On July 6, 2026, Goldman Sachs released its latest aluminum market research report, lowering its average annual LME aluminum price forecast for 2027 from $2,950 per tonne to $2,700 per tonne, while cutting its Q4 2026 forecast from $3,200 per tonne to $2,950 per tonne.
On July 2, 2026 (Toronto time), Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE/TSX: AEM), the world's second-largest gold producer, announced that on July 1 local time, a rock mass movement occurred on the north wall of the Barnat open pit within the Canadian Malartic mine complex in Quebec, Canada.
Rio Tinto's chief executive for aluminium and lithium, Jérôme Pécresse, told Reuters that lithium will become the company's fastest-growing division, outpacing traditional mainstays such as copper and iron ore.
On Friday, June 20, 2026, Panama's Ministry of Environment officially released the independent audit report on the Cobre Panama copper mine conducted by Swiss inspection agency SGS.
On June 19, Goldman Sachs slashed its gold price target by $500 per ounce, lowering it from $5,400 to $4,900 by year-end.
At 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 5, 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the May nonfarm payrolls report: nonfarm payroll employment increased by 172,000.
Chile's state-owned copper company Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, is planning to integrate its three core mines in the north.
Amid the cascade of supply chain disruptions triggered by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, oil, natural gas, fertilizers, and aluminum dominated the headlines. But an inconspicuous 'byproduct' is creating a potentially more far-reaching crisis: helium.
$87.4 billion poured into mining ETFs, double the amount from a year ago; net inflows of $8.24 billion in the first quarter, reversing the $2.52 billion outflow in the same period of 2025, a reversal of $10.8 billion...
After hitting an all-time high of $117.7 in January 2026, silver fell to $73-75 in early April due to the Middle East ceasefire, a decline of about 36%, far exceeding gold. As a metal with both safe-haven and industrial attributes, the easing of geopolitical tensions weakened its dual support, making it the most volatile instrument.
In early 2026, the gold price broke through $5,600, rising nearly fourfold in six years, with a gain of over 60% in 2025. However, the global gold mining index rose only 35%–45% over the same period, significantly underperforming gold ETFs. Affected by high all-in sustaining costs (AISC), mining companies failed to enjoy the benefits of the surging gold price, resulting in a divergence where gold prices hit record highs while mining stocks struggled.
In 2025-2026, copper supply from Chile and Peru continues to be hit by strikes and accidents, pushing output to repeated record lows. LME copper prices have risen 24% to an all-time high of US$13,000 per metric ton, underscoring the growing instability of South American copper supply and potentially signaling long-term changes to the pricing system.
In 2025, LME copper prices rose 24%, the largest annual gain since 2009, and in 2026 they briefly surpassed $13,000 per tonne. Core South American copper suppliers Chile and Peru face multiple shocks including strikes, power outages, and accidents. In 2026, Chile's copper output hit a nine-year low, intensifying supply instability that could reshape the long-term pricing system.
Simultaneous supply chain disruptions in South Africa, Gabon, and Ghana—the three major manganese ore producers—have tightened global supply. South Africa's exports hit a record, yet structural problems persist; Gabon faces transport interruptions and policy risks; and Ghana's audit has prompted investment caution. The combined impact of these disruptions is heightening market uncertainty.
The 2026 US-Israel war against Iran led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, driving global oil prices to $120 per barrel and doubling diesel prices. This triggered a sharp increase in commodity costs, with iron ore miners facing a $2-per-gallon rise in diesel and a $500 million cost impact.
The Strait of Hormuz blockade is stranding 40,000 tonnes of copper cathode per month; combined with Grasberg's 35% output cut, global copper supply could fall short by more than 400,000 tonnes in 2026, with prices potentially breaking above $15,000 per tonne.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle has been downgraded to a tropical low, with sustained wind speeds of 55-75 km/h and gusts of 85 km/h, affecting northern Australia. The focus is now on warnings for heavy rainfall and gusty winds. Its eyewall did not directly strike the main community on Groote Eylandt, and the impact was lighter than expected.