Japan is feeling the heat over sharply rising prices for non-ferrous metals, especially rare metals, which are used in a wide range of high-technology products.
Global competition is intensifying for non-ferrous metals, including copper and lead, as well as for such energy resources as oil, natural gas and uranium. Prices have risen sharply in recent years [...]

State-owned smelter Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) will not be able to start a $3.6 billion bauxite alumina project in the Indian state of Orissa in 2009 due to bureaucratic issues, a Dubal official said yesterday.
“Due to the bureaucratic shape in Orissa and negotiations and papers we have to go through, there will be a delay on [...]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo aims to not only revive its traditional copper sector, but diversify by exploiting potentially huge iron ore and bauxite deposits, Mining Minister Martin Kabwelulu said on Monday.
“Diversification of production is a key strategy,” he told a base-metals conference in Namibia.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was once one of [...]

Rio de Janeiro-based CVRD (NYSE: RIO) is in talks with international steelmakers to bring new steel projects to Brazil, CFO Fábio Barbosa told analysts and investors in a presentation Thursday.
Barbosa was speaking in São Paulo during an event promoted by finance industry trade group Apimec.
CVRD has a 10% minority stake in the under-construction CSA steel [...]

Metallica Minerals Limited said on Friday that top Chinese tin producer Yunnan Tin Group’s unit in Australia had agreed to buy a 5 percent stake in it for A$5.9 million ($4.0 million).
The unit would buy 5.38 million shares in the Australian firm, which invests in Nornico and Lucky Break nickel projects in the country.
The company [...]

United Company RUSAL, the world`s largest aluminium producer, is considering mining the raw material bauxite in Mozambique, Interfax news agency reported, citing a Russian government official.
Officials from RUSAL held discussions in December about developing bauxite reserves in the African country, Interfax quoted Mikhail Kamyshin, official representative of Russia`s foreign ministry, as saying.
He was speaking ahead [...]

Alcan Inc. announced that its Board of Directors unanimously recommends shareholders reject Alcoa Inc.’s (NYSE: AA) unsolicited offer to acquire Alcan. The Board determined that the offer is inadequate in multiple respects and is contrary to the best interests of Alcan’s shareholders. Accordingly, the Board recommends that Alcan shareholders not tender any of their shares [...]

The project involves the construction of an alumina refinery in the Sosnogorsk region with a capacity of 1.4 mln tonnes per annum, and the expansion of the output of the existing Eurasia Middle-Timan bauxite mine to 6.4 mln tpa from 2.6 mln, it said.
Construction of the refinery will start next month, while the complex [...]

Guinea`s Mines Ministry said the country`s parliament had recommended it renegotiate contracts with a US oil company and a Russian-controlled bauxite producer to obtain better terms for the nation.
Guinea`s new government, appointed in March as part of a deal to end violent strikes and protests in the world`s top bauxite exporter, said last month it [...]

Abu Dhabi government investment agency Mubadala Development said it plans to join state-run Dubai Aluminium to create a company to buy stakes in bauxite mining companies and develop reserves of the ore.
The two companies will set up Emal International to look at acquisitions or developments in countries such as Algeria, Morocco and India, Mubadala’s chief [...]