Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. announced that assay results from the first 13 drill holes at its ionic adsorption clay/carbonatite rare earth project in Goiás State, Brazil, showed broad high-grade mineralization, with hole UNA-DDH-015 intersecting 300 meters grading 2.55 TREO from surface, including a high-grade interval of 97 meters grading 4.52 and 6 meters grading 13.30. The company’s flagship Alces Lake project in Saskatchewan, Canada, hosts near-surface high-grade monazite mineralization with grades of up to 50 TREO, close to the Saskatchewan Research Council’s processing facility.

The United States currently operates no domestic nickel smelters, leaving North America entirely reliant on just two remaining pyrometallurgical facilities in Canada. Compounding this critical supply chain vulnerability, a recent report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace projects that the US will face a massive annual nickel deficit of approximately 741,987 tonnes by 2035. To address this severe shortfall, awaruite (a naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy) is emerging as a strategic solution. Because awaruite concentrate can bypass traditional smelting and be directly converted into nickel sulfate, it is favorably positioned to qualify for the US Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit, helping to secure domestic defense and EV battery supply chains.

According to industry reports, the Pipestone XL project in Newfoundland, Canada, is advancing its awaruite (Ni₃Fe) nickel-cobalt deposit to supply the North American defense and energy storage sectors. Awaruite, a naturally occurring, sulfur-free magnetic alloy containing approximately 77% nickel, enables the production of a high-grade ~60% nickel concentrate through simple magnetic separation and flotation. This unique metallurgical profile completely bypasses carbon-intensive pyrometallurgical smelting and early hydrometallurgical stages like high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL).

Real GDP rose 0.1% in January, with an advance estimate of 0.2% in February, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. Growth was driven by the goods-producing sector, which expanded 0.2% for a second straight month, as gains in mining and oil and gas extraction offset a decline in manufacturing. Motor vehicle and parts manufacturing fell 10.8%—the largest drop since September 2021—as winter plant shutdowns extended into January, dragging auto output down 23.5% and wholesale trade down 1.2%. If March growth is flat, the economy is on track to expand at an annualized rate of 1.5% in the first quarter, slightly above market expectations of 1.4%.

Rio Tinto has officially ended production at its Diavik diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories after 23 years of operations, yielding over 150 million carats. While active mining has ceased at the sub-Arctic site, the company will continue to process and sell the remaining rough diamond inventory through 2026 and beyond. Extensive site rehabilitation activities, conducted in collaboration with Indigenous partners, are scheduled to run until 2029.

Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) has signed a revised binding term sheet with the Canadian Government to supply 30,000 tonnes per annum of flake graphite concentrate from its Phase 2 Matawinie Mine in Québec over seven years. The take-or-pay agreement features a fixed price with inflation adjustments and allows NMG to resell volumes, splitting upside revenue with Canada. Bolstered by a $335 million debt commitment from Canadian agencies and existing offtake deals covering over 70% of planned production, this agreement marks a crucial step toward finalizing transaction agreements and reaching a positive final investment decision (FID).

Overall, amid the structural adjustment of shifting demand across global regions, China’s prebaked anode exports could offset the pressure from weakening demand in traditional markets through market structure optimization and a shift in the center of orders, coupled with its own capacity and supply chain advantages. Full-year China prebaked anode exports are expected to maintain a certain increase.

Rio Tinto plans to begin operations at its Resolution Copper project in Arizona by the mid-2030s, but may export part of the concentrate due to challenging smelting economics in the US, a senior executive said. The company recently secured the necessary land after a long legal battle with the San Carlos Apache tribe. Resolution is expected to produce over 18 million tonnes of copper over its lifetime. Separately, Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine in Canada has closed after 23 years of operation, with closure activities continuing through 2029.

According to Open Access Government, Canada Nickel Company is pioneering net-zero mining at its Crawford Project by integrating carbon mineralization directly into its workflow. The site, expected to produce over 48,000 tonnes of nickel and 500,000 tonnes of 304-grade stainless steel annually, utilizes ultramafic rocks to permanently sequester CO2. Through patent-pending In-Process Tailings (IPT) carbonation and a recent successful in-situ underground pilot funded by the US DOE, CO2 is converted into stable carbonate minerals. This dual approach not only offsets emissions but naturally fractures the rock, lowering energy and grinding costs. This positions Crawford as a scalable template for a net-zero industrial cluster, turning carbon management into a core value driver.

Strait of Hormuz disruptions and Iran tensions are driving up aluminum prices and premiums. Aluminium Bahrain and Qatalum have cut output, while feedstock is tight. Rerouting via Port of Sohar or Saudi ports raises costs and delays. Buyers are turning to China, India, Russia, Canada, and scrap to offset risk. Prolonged disruption could reduce Middle East market share and reprice it as higher-risk supply.