The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on Russia, including a global network of individuals and shell companies that help Russian military evade export controls of advanced technology to Russia. The department says Moscow based Serniya Engineering is at the center of the network and operates under the direction of Russia’s intelligence service. 

Finance ministers of the G7 group of developed economies are set to propose a new partnership on supply chains that will be open to non-G7 nations and would require countries to have minimum standards on human rights and environmental policies to join. Officials are nearing a statement on the issue for this week’s G7 meeting, with the additional details on diversifying supply chains to be included. The group aims to start the partnership by the end of the year. China has dominance over the supply chains of many of the world’s critical minerals, including rare earths that are key for the production of renewable energy equipment, among other industries.  

As part of Australia’s push to boost domestic lithium refining capacity, Pilbara Minerals, one of the country’s biggest lithium producers, is planning to build a demonstration plant in Western Australia capable of refining the battery metal. The planned facility will process the company’s hard-rock ore into lithium salt near the its Pilgangoora Project, in a joint venture with Australian technology company Calix.