China To Restrict Exports Of Critical Chipmaking Metals Gallium And Germanium In Escalated Tech War

[SMM Tantalum Flash] Sinomine Resources said a groundbreaking ceremony for a second tantalum-niobium recovery plant took place at its Bikita operation in Zimbabwe on 25 September. The company says the plant is designed to treat 450,000 tonnes of ore a year and produce 500–600 tonnes of combined tantalum-niobium concentrate annually. It expects construction and commissioning in 2027; those volumes are design targets, not current output. The project would expand recovery of critical metals associated with Bikita’s lithium operation and add processing capacity in Zimbabwe. Sinomine plans to use magnetic separation and shaking tables to extract tantalum-niobium concentrate from lithium concentrate. The ceremony marks the project’s launch; completed construction, actual throughput and recovered volumes remain to be demonstrated.

[SMM Niobium Flash] Globe Metals & Mining said on 28 September that Malawi’s Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority had specified what the company must start building at its Kanyika niobium-tantalum project. The guidance, received on 25 September, sets a six-month period from that date to demonstrate substantial on-site development. The works include, where applicable, starting a processing plant, tailings storage facility, site offices and run-of-mine pad. Globe said the directive still requires ratification by the authority’s board. The guidance clarifies Kanyika’s next steps after its previous 27 September deadline to begin substantial mining operations. Globe reports that preparatory road and stockpile works have been completed, but it must still agree detailed engineering measures with regulators and demonstrate the required permanent works. Its aim of commercial production in early 2028 remains a company target.

Australasian Metals reported that a review of historical exploration data identified near-surface columbite-tantalite mineralisation at its Atex project. The company is preparing drilling to assess the tantalum potential alongside lithium. The historical estimates are not a current mineral resource. Atex adds a potential West African tantalum project to watch, but fresh sampling and drilling are needed before its scale or commercial value can be assessed.