Africa's critical mineral producers are shifting from hosting resources to setting terms, and a recent intelligence briefing shows the leverage is real, the value capture is not yet, and the read-through for Australian operations is sharper than the geopolitics suggests.
Australia's share of China's lithium concentrate imports has almost halved since 2022, but the interesting question is not who took it – it is why they are being paid so much less for it.
Arafura Rare Earths Managing Director and CEO Darryl Cuzzubbo told the WA Mining Club that Nolans is moving from critical minerals rhetoric to construction reality, but the real test will be processing, ramp-up, suppliers and whether Australia can help build a serious rare earths supply chain outside China.
