The Democratic Republic of Congo’s decision to maintain its newly introduced cobalt export quota system marks a significant shift in how the world’s largest supplier of this critical mineral intends to wield its market power. By moving away from an outright export ban toward managed quotas, Kinshasa is signaling that it seeks not only to stabilize prices but also to exert greater sovereignty over a sector that has long been dominated by foreign companies, particularly Chinese firms.

With the global transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy accelerating, cobalt’s strategic importance makes Congo’s policies a matter of international consequence. Cobalt is indispensable for the production of lithium-ion batteries, powering everything from smartphones to electric cars to grid storage systems.

The looming imposition of 50% U.S. tariffs on copper imports—set to take effect August 1—has sent shockwaves through global commodity markets and stirred uncertainty in Chile, the world’s largest copper producer and the top supplier of refined copper to the United States. Yet, as of mid-July, Chilean officials and Codelco, the state-owned copper giant, have still not received clarity on how the sweeping U.S. measures will be implemented.

At its core, the tariff move is a clear extension of President Donald Trump’s broader industrial and trade strategy, which prioritizes onshoring critical supply chains, including those tied to semiconductors, electrification, and defense. Copper, indispensable to electric vehicles, power grids, AI hardware, and missile systems, now joins the ranks of other “strategic materials” like rare earths and graphite that the U.S. is aggressively attempting to domesticate.

India’s state-run refiners are encountering a significant shift in their operational landscape as the once affordable Russian oil becomes more costly and less accessible. This shift is squeezing profits for companies that had been benefiting from Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine. Recent attacks…