How China Took Over the World’s Rare Earths Industry
April 17th, 2025
Via the New York Times, an article on how China took over the world’s rare earths industry: China shook the world in 2010 when it imposed an embargo on exports of crucial rare earth metals to Japan. Panicked Japanese executives appeared on television to warn that they were running out of the critical raw materials. The embargo, […]
Read more »The Mine Is American. The Minerals Are China’s.
April 17th, 2025
Courtesy of the New York Times, a report on how a Brazilian rare earths mine backed by American investors illustrates China’s grip over the strategic minerals that underpin the modern economy. The gaping pit alongside a tiny town in rural Brazil has all the elements to solve the West’s sudden problem of finding critical rare earth metals […]
Read more »Africa Turns to Gulf States To Fill Gaps Left By China and The West
April 17th, 2025
Via The Africa Report, commentary on the Gulf’s increasing investment interest in Africa: Donald Trump’s presidency is affecting China’s investment in the continent, but its pause is not a retreat, according to Africa expert Carlos Lopes. China is likely to pause investments in Africa as part of a wait-and-see strategy as US President Donald Trump disrupts its Belt and […]
Read more »China Frets About Its Dependence on Africa’s Resources As U.S. Muscles In
April 17th, 2025
Via South China Morning Post, a look at how China has heavily invested to secure raw materials from African nations, but US accusations over those deals pose new risks: A leading Chinese industry association has warned the country risks becoming too dependent on raw materials from individual nations in Africa, as the continent becomes a […]
Read more »African Kingdom Lesotho Gives Starlink License in Overture to US
April 17th, 2025
Via Bloomberg, a report on Lesotho’s recent decision to give Starlink a license to operate: Lesotho granted Elon Musk’s Starlink a 10-year license to operate its satellite network in the tiny southern African mountain kingdom as it seeks to improve ties with the US. The decision marks a significant step forward in the country’s digital […]
Read more »Ethiopia-Somalia Rapprochement and its Potential Geopolitical Implications
April 13th, 2025
Via the Emirates Policy Center, commentary on Ethiopia-Somalia rapprochement: Key Takeaways The Somalia-Ethiopia rapprochement following the signing of the Ankara Declaration in late 2024 represents a substantial shift in alliance dynamics within the Horn of Africa. This development carries significant geopolitical and security implications, potentially altering the balance of power and influencing key actors. Ethiopia […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.