Critical minerals mining, impacts and supply (July 2026 upd)

Timeline

1. 1 day ago

   [BUSINESS] 14 sources

   Zimbabwe pushes lithium beneficiation, small miners voice concerns

   Zimbabwe’s export ban on raw lithium spurs $1 bn investment and the first African lithium‑sulphate plant, but small miners fear high costs and limited access may leave them behind.

2. 10 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 4 sources

   Zimbabwe Lithium Plant Limits Processing as Congo Begins Exports to China

   Zimbabwe’s only lithium plant can’t process third‑party ore and faces a 2027 export ban, while Congo’s Manono project has begun sending lithium concentrate to China, marking its first export.

3. 17 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 2 sources

   U.S. Defense Department Awards $300 Million Lithium Deal to Zimbabwe

   The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency announced a $300 million, five‑year lithium contract targeting Zimbabwe, aiming to build a strategic stockpile and cut dependence on China amid rising EV‑driven lithium demand.

4. about 1 month ago

   [BUSINESS] 3 sources

   Ontario gold and copper projects see resource growth and near‑full financing

   Hemlo Mining reports a 34% boost in Ontario gold resources, while Generation Mining secures nearly $1 billion financing for the Marathon copper‑palladium project targeting 2028 production.

5. about 1 month ago

   [BUSINESS] 2 sources

   Critical Minerals Financing Corp (CMFC) Rebrands and Relocates HQ to Lagos

   Deap Capital rebrands as Critical Minerals Financing Corp, moves its headquarters to Lagos and aims to finance Africa's critical‑minerals sector, addressing financing gaps with global expertise.

6. about 1 month ago

   [BUSINESS] 4 sources

   Zimbabwe pushes for lithium processing extension amid anti‑smuggling crackdown

   Zimbabwe’s lithium miners seek an extension to the 2027 export ban while the government launches a crackdown on gold, lithium and diamond smuggling, aiming to retain more foreign‑currency earnings.

7. about 1 month ago

   [BUSINESS] 5 sources

   Zimbabwe lithium miners seek six‑month extension to export ban

   Zimbabwe's lithium miners asked to push back the Jan 2027 export ban to June 2027, citing unfinished processing plants; only one of seven producers is ready and the sector faces a 16% export tax.

8. about 2 months ago

   [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources

   Mining Expands in Mongolia and Appalachia, Threatening Agriculture and Water Resources

   Mining in Appalachia and Mongolia is reshaping land and water use, threatening agriculture, forestry and pastoral livelihoods, and prompting calls for better reclamation and planning.

9. about 2 months ago

   [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources

   Mining Activities Harm Forests, Water and Rural Livelihoods Worldwide

   Mining, especially coal, drives deforestation, water contamination and high CO₂ emissions, threatening forests, water resources and rural livelihoods globally.

10. about 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 3 sources

    Critical Minerals Firms Boost U.S. Presence and Secure Ontario Project Control

    Core Critical Metals listed on the OTCQB to access U.S. investors, while First Class Metals completed the Zigzag earn‑in, gaining 80% control of an Ontario lithium‑critical minerals project.

11. 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Ontario's Gold and Copper Mine Maps Reveal Overlap with Agriculture and Forestry

    Ontario's over 40 active gold and copper mines span more than 2 million hectares, with over 60 % intersecting agricultural and forestry zones, prompting integrated land‑use planning and environmental safeguards

12. 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Zimbabwe Mining Boom to Create 100,000 Jobs as Lithium Processing Starts

    Zimbabwe plans to add up to 100,000 mining jobs in five years while launching lithium processing, marked by the first lithium‑sulphate shipment from the Arcadia mine.

13. 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Zimbabwe’s mining and agriculture drive economic revival and climate‑finance push

    Zimbabwe ranks among Africa’s best economies as mining, agriculture and green‑finance reforms drive growth and attract investors.

14. 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Netherlands Ministry Blocks Local Bans on Steel Slag

    Dutch ministry orders municipalities to lift local steel‑slag bans, citing national standards, amid investigations finding the waste at 200+ sites.

15. 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Ontario lithium projects advance with Frontier's PAK and Rock Tech's Georgia Lake

    Frontier and Rock Tech advance Ontario lithium projects, focusing on production pathways and a cost‑cutting ore‑sorting test.

16. 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 10 sources

    Compass Minerals partners with EnergyX to restart lithium extraction at Utah’s Great Salt Lake

    Compass Minerals teams up with EnergyX to extract lithium from Utah’s Great Salt Lake, targeting 2030 production.

17. 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 6 sources

    Zimbabwe lithium export ban boosts mineral sales to near $1 billion

    Zimbabwe’s export ban on raw lithium spikes processed mineral sales near $1 bn, while synthetic diamonds cut diamond exports by 46%.

18. 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Zimbabwe secures $120 M investment as it begins BRICS bank membership talks

    Zimbabwe gets conditional $120 M investment and starts formal talks to join the BRICS New Development Bank.

19. 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 3 sources

    Netherlands could slash demand for critical minerals by up to half

    Greenpeace study shows the Netherlands can cut critical mineral demand by up to 49% through energy savings and recycling.

20. 3 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Zimbabwe's Ban on Raw Mineral Exports Drives $1bn Quarterly Revenue Surge

    Zimbabwe's mineral export ban fuels a $983m Q1 earnings boost, driving beneficiation and lithium processing.

21. 3 months ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources

    OECD Warns of Record Rise in Export Restrictions on Critical Minerals

    OECD reports a record surge in export bans on critical minerals, affecting 70% of cobalt and manganese trade and widening supply‑chain risks.

22. 3 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Mining Activities Undermine Agricultural Yields and Soil Health

    Mining cuts agricultural yields up to 30% and strip mining drops soil fertility by 80%, urging stronger reclamation.

23. 3 months ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources

    UN findings on human costs of critical mineral mining for clean energy

    UN finds mining of critical minerals harms water, health, and equality in vulnerable regions amid clean-energy push.