Paul Sanger
Is the Critical Minerals Sell-Off a Buying Opportunity for North America-Exposed Names?
After a two-month global rally in critical minerals and rare earths stocks, especially those with North American assets, the group has slumped over the past 48 hours on headlines that Washington and Beijing have reached a framework to delay new tariffs and relax near-term export restrictions. The pullback could be technical, not fundamental, as traders take profits, but underlying need […]
US and China Reach Framework for Trade Deal Ahead of Trump–Xi Meeting
Top US and Chinese economic officials have agreed on the outline of a new trade framework that could avert another round of steep tariffs and ease Chinese export controls on critical minerals, US officials said Sunday. The agreement, reached on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, sets the stage for President Donald Trump and Chinese President […]
Trump’s Industrial Push Sees Washington Invest in Strategic Industries
Under President Donald Trump, the US government has begun taking direct equity stakes in major private companies, including chipmaker Intel, rare earth producer MP Materials, and lithium developer Lithium Americas, as part of a sweeping effort to bolster national security and reduce reliance on China. The policy marks a sharp departure from decades of free-market orthodoxy. Some company boards […]
US and Australia Sign New Rare Earths and Critical Minerals Supply Chain Framework
The United States and Australia have signed a landmark agreement in Washington, D.C. establishing a common policy framework for the mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths, strengthening supply chain resilience and deepening strategic cooperation between the two nations The US–Australia Critical Minerals Framework, signed on 20 October 2025, aims to bolster the availability of […]
Antimony: The Overlooked Critical Mineral Powering a New US–Australia Alliance
From ammunition to energy storage, antimony’s strategic importance is a key driver of capital flows and diplomacy and putting Australian small caps squarely on Washington’s radar. What Is Antimony — and Why it Matters Antimony (Sb) is a silvery metalloid most commonly extracted from stibnite (Sb₂S₃). While it rarely attracts the spotlight, its applications sit at the intersection of […]
JPMorgan Launches $1.5 Trillion Initiative to Boost US Economic Security and Strategic Industries
JPMorganChase has unveiled a landmark US$1.5 trillion, 10-year “Security and Resiliency Initiative”, aimed at financing and investing in industries critical to the United States’ national economic security and technological independence. The initiative represents one of the largest private-sector commitments to date focused on rebuilding America’s industrial base, with a strong emphasis on critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, energy resilience, […]
Australia Moves to Establish Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve as Global Trade Tensions Rise
Australia is fast-tracking plans to establish a A$1.2 billion (US$782 million) critical minerals reserve, designed to safeguard supply chains for key industrial and defence materials amid escalating global trade frictions and tightening Chinese export controls. According to industry sources, Canberra’s Critical Minerals Task Force held consultations last week with miners and developers across rare earths, lithium, and other […]
Australia’s Semiconductor Future: Inside the Semiconductor Australia 2025 Conference
Small Caps readers can now access an exclusive 20% ticket discount via our website banner. Australia’s semiconductor sector is heating up, and the upcoming Semiconductor Australia 2025 Conference is set to showcase the nation’s brightest deep-tech innovators, cutting-edge research, and the investors driving the next wave of advanced manufacturing. Hosted in Sydney, the event brings together global […]
ASX Players With North American Exposure Could Benefit as China Tightens Rare Earth Export Controls
China has dramatically expanded its export controls on rare earth elements, adding five new materials and a raft of refining technologies to its restricted list in a move that tightens Beijing’s grip on global supply chains for critical minerals. The latest measures, announced Thursday by China’s Ministry of Commerce, introduce new licensing requirements for the […]
Nova Minerals First ASX Beneficiary as US Deepens Strategic Critical Minerals Footprint
The United States is accelerating its direct involvement in the global critical minerals race, marking a major policy shift from rhetoric to investment. Overnight, Trilogy Metals (NYSE: TMQ) shares surged more than 225% after the White House confirmed it would take a 10% equity stake in the Canadian copper and critical minerals developer. The US$35.6 million investment cements Trilogy’s strategic importance to Washington’s […]
Lithium Americas Shares Surge Again after Confirmation of US Government Equity Stake
Lithium Americas (NYSE: LAC) jumped 23.3% overnight to $7.04 after confirming the US Department of Energy (DOE) had taken a 5% equity stake in both the company and the joint venture developing the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada alongside General Motors (GM). The agreement unlocks the first $435 million drawdown from the DOE’s previously announced US$2.3 billion loan, while also permitting the JV […]
Trump’s CBD Comments Ignite US Cannabis Stocks Surge – Will ASX Companies Follow Suit?
Shares of cannabis and CBD-related companies surged on Monday after US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD), especially in senior healthcare, “could revolutionize” treatment by reducing disease progression and providing an alternative to prescription drugs. He further reiterated his administration is exploring reclassifying marijuana under federal law, a change that could […]
ASX Juniors Could Be in the Crosshairs as US Eyes Bigger Footprint in Critical Minerals
Just as attention was still buzzing around the US considering a stake in Lithium Americas, new reports suggest the Trump administration is now exploring equity positions in a broader set of critical mineral companies. The market’s already reacting, rare earth and critical mineral names have jumped sharply on the news overnight: CRML up ~16%; MP […]
Why a US Stake in Lithium Americas Could Be a Tailwind for ASX Names in North America
Shares of Lithium Americas (LAC) almost doubled in after-hours trading after reports the US government is negotiating to take an equity stake in the company’s Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada. The stake would come as part of a renegotiation of an existing US$2.3b Department of Energy loan. Talks are ongoing; officials described the position […]
Russell 2000 Breaks Out to First Record Close Since 2021: Why that’s a positive for ASX small caps
The Russell 2000, Wall Street’s small-cap benchmark, closed at a record high, rising ~2.5% and notching its first all-time closing high since November 2021. The move came as breadth broadened following the Federal Reserve’s 25 bps rate cut, with small caps outperforming the major indices into the close. Market commentators pointed to three immediate drivers: […]
Semiconductor Australia 2025: Where Innovation Meets Investment
Australia’s premier conference, showcasing the nation’s best and brightest semiconductor, quantum, defence and AI technologies is back – bigger, bolder, and more ambitious than ever. Following the sell-out success of its inaugural event, Semiconductor Australia 2025 returns on Wednesday 22 October 2025 at the iconic ILUMINA in Sydney, to power the national conversation around deep-tech […]
Gold and Silver Hit Record Highs – What it Means for ASX Gold Stocks
Gold and silver surged to fresh record highs on Monday, buoyed by a weakening US dollar and growing expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates later this month. The London Bullion Market Association set its afternoon auction benchmark for gold at US$3,475 per troy ounce (A$5,350/oz), surpassing the previous record set in […]
Which ASX Stocks Could Benefit as Rare Earth Prices Surge on Tightened US Supply Chains?
Prices of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) oxides – two rare earth elements essential for super-strong magnets – have surged to their highest levels in more than two years. The rally follows US rare earth producer MP Materials halting raw material exports to China, creating a significant gap in supply. China currently controls around 90% of […]
What the US 2025 Draft List of Critical Minerals Could Mean for Australian Companies
The US Department of the Interior, through the US Geological Survey (USGS), has released the draft 2025 List of Critical Minerals alongside a new framework for assessing supply chain disruption risks. This list will shape US policy, investment, and permitting decisions in the years ahead. It underscores just how central critical minerals have become to […]
What America’s Shift from Climate to Security with $1b Minerals Push Means for Australian Companies
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced plans to invest nearly US$1 billion into advancing mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies for critical minerals. This is the first major DOE funding initiative under the Trump administration, marking a sharp pivot in Washington’s policy priorities. Where once the DOE’s focus was on decarbonisation and clean energy […]