The Iran War Comes for the ‘King of Chemicals’ The conflict is wreaking havoc on an obscure sector that is more important than you’d think.

The conflict is wreaking havoc on an obscure sector that is more important than you’d think. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/17/i...

"Dr. Copper" has a new diagnosis, and it's not great Copper’s usefulness makes it a key barometer for optimism about future economic growth. Well, the price, and that optimism, are falling.

Pleased to be able to comment here on the near-term challenges for copper despite the long-term rosy outlook being very much in place. @marketplace.org www.marketplace.org/story/2026/0...

Trump Sets Up ‘Pax Silica’ Fund to Reduce Global Dependencies

A follow up here to the consortium announced in December. Goal of $4 trillion in investment is clearly aspirational but could be put to productive use in a host of strategic chokepoints for allied economies. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/b...

It’s Official: Trump’s Tariffs Have Failed Americans are paying, reindustrialization isn’t happening, and China profits.

Sometimes getting out of your own way is the easiest thing to do (and this Administration doesn't seem inclined to do so)... foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/19/t...

Trump’s Hot New Critical Minerals Club The U.S. administration is seeking to form a trade bloc with countries that it has otherwise scorned.

It took China a generation (and a trillion dollars) to dominate critical material supply chains. Pleased to comment in the @foreignpolicy.com on progress made this week out of Washington on the rest of the world catching up. @christinalu.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/05/t...

The Hottest Commodity in the Mining Business: American Generals Companies are bringing in retired military brass to navigate Washington and win Pentagon contracts.

While grade, tonnage, and asset location matter, building a strong Board and aligning it with the company vision is arguably the most important job of a management team. Pleased to comment here on generals joining critical mineral co boards. www.wsj.com/business/the...

The Coming Copper Boom Surging demand—and prices—for the mineral stand to benefit exporters in Latin America.

Pleased to contribute here on the LatAm perspective on copper in Catherine Osborn's newsletter on "The Coming Copper Boom" foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/30/c...

Why Green Tech Frontiers are the New Strategic Battlefield

New pod this week focuses on the impacts and economics of green tech including carbon capture and sequestration, geothermal, and DLE with Graham Bain from Enverus Energy. This was a great tutorial on these consequential technologies.

open.spotify.com/episode/46ul...

$101. Amazing. I remember when silver spiked to $50 (in 2013?) and then went to sleep for 12 years.

When you read this article and consider the potential (geopolitical and geologic) for a rare earths deal with Brazil, it makes the whole Greenland issue even more absurd.

www.ft.com/content/401a...

Opinion | Trump Is Obsessed With Oil. But Chinese Batteries Will Soon Run the World.

Good Dan Wang piece here. There is a lot happening domestically in the US to compete but success rests on capital, political will, and internal political stability meshing going forward. Dan's book Breakneck was/is a must-read on these topics. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...

Excited to be at the @thepwhl.com Takeover Tour in DC today! This place looks FULL!

Explaining the Surge in the Nickel Price - Olivier Masson - Principal Analyst at FastMarkets Hello and welcome back to the first episode of 2026 of The Power Current with me, your host Chris Berry. The Power Current is a production of the Clear Commodity Network.With the metals markets defyin...

For the first pod of 26, we turn to one of the most hated metals: nickel.

Analyst Olivier Masson from Fastmarkets Metals and Mining joins us to talk quotas, supply, demand, pricing & explain the story behind the surprising resilience.

clearcommodity.net/podcasts/pow...

Thanks @christinalu.bsky.social for the chance to chat @foreignpolicy.com

Greenland’s Rare Earths Aren’t All That The island may not be the treasure trove that some U.S. officials think.

Pleased to comment here on the economic questions (folly?) around critical mineral mining in Greenland. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/09/t...

Exclusive | China Deprives Japan of Rare-Earths Supply, Escalating Dispute Beijing is punishing Tokyo for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, again wielding critical minerals as an economic weapon.

This is getting to be like Groundhog Day. Good to see my friend David Abraham quote here.

www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...

The Donroe Doctrine looks northwards. It's unclear what it means to "need" Greenland given the REE and mineral wealth in the USA but the Trump SWF approach to minerals implies a longer-term play. www.spglobal.com/market-intel...

China Signals It Won’t Give an Inch to the U.S. in Latin America Beijing is doubling down on its expansion just as President Trump tries to claim the Western Hemisphere as an exclusive sphere of influence for the U.S.

As if you needed another reason to be bullish lithium or copper long-term. www.wsj.com/world/americ...

Inside China’s Six-Decade Campaign to Dominate Rare Earths

Inside China’s Six-Decade Campaign to Dominate Rare Earths www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/b...

Opinion | America Can’t Reshore Everything We propose a three-part test to decide which supply chains are genuinely vital to U.S. national security.

We can't and we shouldn't. This article proposes a solid and realistic path forward for supply chain development. www.wsj.com/opinion/amer...

Explainer | Will US-led ‘Pax Silica’ be a new dawn for the international AI supply chain? Trump administration aims for deeper technology cooperation on new AI infrastructure with allies.

Pleased to be quoted here on the strategic goals of ‘Pax Silica’ and realistic chances of success as AI, critical minerals, and battery supply chains collide.

How U.S. Defense Industry Dodged a Rare-Earth Shortage After China’s Curbs

How U.S. Defense Industry Dodged a Rare-Earth Shortage After China’s Curbs www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/b...

Trump’s AI Mineral Hunt Goes Global The White House’s tech ambitions have intensified its critical minerals scramble.

The White House’s tech ambitions have intensified its critical minerals scramble. foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/t...

Tungsten Is the Next Flash Point in the Resource Race Alarmed by Beijing’s rare earths chokehold, Washington is scrambling to plug other potential vulnerabilities.

Tungsten is called "the armor plate of conflict" for a reason. foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/12/u...

Didn't realize China's exports were on this trajectory despite tariffs. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How China’s Rare Earth Chokehold Could Strangle Europe’s Military Buildup

How China’s Rare Earth Chokehold Could Strangle Europe’s Military Buildup www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/b...

Will Trump’s Critical Minerals Blitz Pay Off? The U.S. president has been on a mission to secure new supply chains—and counter China’s grip.

The recent flurry of minerals deal in the US is obviously encouraging but highlights the fact that China still retains significant leverage. thanks @foreignpolicy.com @christinalu.bsky.social for the chance to comment here. foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/31/t...

Ringside Seats to the Rare Earths War: How Geopolitics Weaponized Critical Materials Today’s guest is long-time friend, author, and Director at 3-Legged Capital David S Abraham. I first met David in 2012 after I read and reviewed his book The Elements of Power. Since then, David has w...

New pod is out and we go deep into the world of rare earths, government, and strategy with author and Director at 3 Legged Capital David Abraham who literally wrote the book on these topics long before they became front page news.

clearcommodity.net/podcasts/pow...

Another reason why diffuse supply chains are in everyone's interest.

www.ft.com/content/aada...

Trump’s Hyundai Raid Drains U.S. Battery Brains The United States can’t build the powerful technologies on its own.

Alienating your friends when you're trying to reindustrialize in a critical technology is just plain boneheaded. foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/12/h...