China dominates the rare earth industry, accounting for approximately 60 percent of rare earth metal mining and approximately 90 percent of rare earth metal processing in 2023. In order to combat this near-monopoly and to...more
In recent years, the government contracts space has seen an increased scrutiny of procurements from certain countries, especially the People's Republic of China. A prominent example is Section 889 of the National Defense...more
In recent months, the critical minerals sector has been at the top of government legislative and regulatory agendas and has been subject to substantial media attention. "Critical minerals" is a generic term that refers to a...more
Legislation Introduced In The Context Of Significant Federal Attention To Vulnerable Supply Chains, Including Critical Minerals And Materials - On January 14, 2022, Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ)...more
In 2019, the US imposed sanctions against China in reaction to “serious human rights abuse against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang...” The sanctions followed reports of mass arbitrary detention and severe physical abuse, among...more
A federal judge has delivered another win for TikTok over the weekend, temporarily blocking a White House ban “on new downloads of the video-sharing network, which would have gone into effect at 11:59 p.m. in Washington.” The...more
Another day, another major U.S. restriction on Chinese tech. The Commerce Department is out with new rules “curbing Huawei Technologies Co.’s access to foreign-made chips.” The measures would “prohibit non-U.S. companies from...more
The White House has “doubled down” on its recent actions against TikTok by “formally giving ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the popular video-sharing app, 90 days to divest from its American assets and any data that TikTok...more
The global mining & metals industry began the new decade on a positive note. But as the global economy is struck by the unprecedented force of the coronavirus pandemic, how is the sector positioned for life post-COVID-19? ...more
The global mining & metals sector is facing one of its most challenging transitions yet, as the industry is considering how it can best position itself to regain and maintain stakeholder confidence on ESG matters. Miners...more
Flying under the radar in past years, the recovery of Rare Earth Elements (“REE”) and the importance of REE to manufacturing in the United States are now recognized as crucial issues implicating national security. REEs -...more
Some U.S. tech firms are finding ways to get around the White House’s Huawei no fly zone, with Micron, Qualcomm, and Intel leading the way...more
Supreme Court Sides with Property Owners; Companies have No Right to Get Natural Gas Without Permission - "The Supreme Court said, 'A mineral owner or lessee has an implicit right to use the overlying surface to access...more
The global mining & metals sector spent much of 2018 in the thrall of macro uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. Heading into 2019, what does the underlying picture look like?...more
Trump Budget Seeks 23 Percent Cut at EPA, Eliminating Dozens of Programs - "The fiscal 2019 proposal released marks the Trump administration's latest attempt to shrink the reach of an agency the president once promised to...more
West Virginia Surface, Mineral Rights Owners Say Details Will be Key to Getting Co-Tenancy Bill Passed - "Surface and mineral rights owners most affected by co-tenancy legislation say they're wary of jumping on the...more
Rare earth elements are found in nearly every aspect of our lives. Televisions, smartphones, tablets, computers, stereos, and cars all contain rare earth elements. Our national security also relies on rare earths in...more
Companies face lots of risks – the soup du jour has been anti-corruption enforcement and compliance. Like any consistent restaurant you might visit regularly, one risk continues to grow, quietly and significantly –...more
China Announces Elimination of Export Duties on Rare Earth Elements - On August 7, 2014, the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Appellate Body upheld a March 2014 dispute settlement panel decision that China's imposition...more
On August 7, 2014, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body upheld a March 2014 Panel decision regarding China's export restrictions on rare earth materials including tungsten, molybdenum, and other rare earth...more
On March 26, the World Trade Organization (WTO) released a dispute settlement panel report finding that China's imposition of export restraints on rare earths, tungsten, and molybdenum breach WTO rules. The United States,...more
In This Issue: - United States And Japan Hit Bumps On The Road To TPP Agreement - Senate Commerce Committee Passes Manufacturing Bill - WTO Panel Finds China's Export Restraints On Rare Earth Minerals Violate Trade...more
On December 3, 2013, former Congressman Don Bonker of APCO and I will be speaking in Vancouver, Canada at a breakfast conference held by the American Chamber of Commerce on “The Trans-Pacific Partnership Demystified: A...more