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July 14, 2024
Pearl Gull is pleased to advise that it has entered into a binding term sheet to acquire 100% of the fully paid ordinary shares in Huemul which in turn has signed an agreement and is negotiating a further agreement for it to have a right to earn up to 80% of the equity in a privately held Chilean-company, NeoRe SpA (NeoRe).
Highlights:
- Pearl Gull Iron Limited (ASX: PLG) (Pearl Gull, PLG or the Company) has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Huemul Holdings Pty Ltd (ACN 665 254 491) (Huemul) (the Acquisition). Huemul has signed an agreement and is negotiating a further agreement to have the right to earn up to an 80% interest in NeoRe SpA.
- NeoRe SpA is a Chilean company that holds tenements and tenement applications in Chile that are highly prospective for Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) Rare Earth Elements (REEs) – the La Marigen Project
- The La Marigen Project consists of 5 tenement/tenement application areas covering a combined area of ~22,800ha along the coastal belt of Chile, an emerging IAC REE province
- The coastal belt of Chile is underexplored; however, the belt has numerous analogies with respect to the geology and weathering profile of the prolific southern China ionic rare earth province that spans from Yunnan in the southwest to Zhejiang in the southeast
- Following the acquisition of Huemul, the Company proposes an exploration programme at the La Marigen Project, drawing on leading geochemical and geophysical methodologies to identify priority drill targets
- The region is known to host mineralised clay horizons that are highly enriched in REE elements such as (Nd+Pr & Dy+Tb) as demonstrated at the nearby advanced IAC REE project, Penco, owned by TSX-listed Aclara Resources Inc (TSX: ARA) (Aclara)
- Importantly, the style of REE enrichment in this coastal belt frequently results in a mineral assemblage skewed towards heavy rare earth elements (HREE)
- NeoRe SpA's in-country team has extensive knowledge and experience operating in the region and was instrumental in the development of the target generation of rare earth resources, that led to resources that underpin Aclara’s Penco Project
- The Company will also assess further complementary mineral exploration opportunities in the region to assess value accretive opportunities in this IAC REE district
- Experienced minerals industry Executive, Dr John Mair, to join the Board and oversee the Company’s REE strategy. Dr Mair has over a decade of experience in the rare earth sector through his integral role in resource development, and metallurgical and feasibility studies of the Kvanefjeld project in Greenland
NeoRe holds 4 granted tenements and is the applicant pursuant to tenement applications that are considered to be highly prospective for IAC REEs, collectively covering a surface area of ~22,800ha and which comprise the La Marigen Project. Further details are provided in the Tenement Schedule in Appendix 5.
In parallel with the Acquisition, experienced Rare Earth industry executive Dr John Mair will join the Board of Pearl Gull and will provide guidance and oversight to the exploration activities in relation to the La Marigen Project.
The NeoRe in-country exploration team is highly credentialed and has extensive knowledge and experience operating in the region. They have a robust track record of delineating and developing REE resources and following this transaction will be well positioned to progress the La Marigen Project.
The Acquisition and proposed farm-in to the La Marigen Project would further strengthen the asset portfolio of Pearl Gull with the Company seeking to leverage its network in the resources industry to provide new opportunities for its shareholders while still seeking to realise value from the Cockatoo Island Project, located on Cockatoo Island, situated off the Northwest coast of Western Australia.
Chairman Russell Clark commented:
“The farm-in to the La Marigen Project provides the Company with an opportunity to potentially acquire an interest in an emerging ionic adsorption clay rare earth elements region, known to host high grades. Importantly the project area is located in close proximity to Concepción, which is a major industrial city on the coast of Chile.
The limited surface sampling programme within the project area returned results commensurate with reported occurrences of IAC REE deposits in the region. Additionally, our partners at NeoRe conducted (un-certified) bulk sample testing (200kg sample) at the University of Concepción, which returned preliminary results suggesting that the project areas are reasonably likely to host disorbable IAC REE.
This demonstrates the potential that the region is prospective to host IAC REE and provides the Company with an exciting opportunity within an emerging region."
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Pearl Gull Iron Limited , licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
PLG:AU
8h
Expert: Can a United Front Loosen China’s Rare Earths and Critical Minerals Hold?
As western automakers reel from yet another round of Chinese export restrictions on rare earths, the urgency to create a counterweight to Beijing’s dominance over global mineral supply chains is reaching new heights.
At the center of the conversation is a persistent and disruptive strategy: Chinese state-backed firms flood global markets with critical minerals, push prices below sustainable production levels and wipe out foreign competition.
In response, experts like Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, are calling for a fundamentally different playbook.
In her view, it's time for nations to coordinate their market power and engage in collective deterrence.
“If countries continue to operate independently instead of collectively, China will retain its dominant position because no single nation has enough market leverage on its own,” Baskaran argues in her recent commentary.
The scale of disruption is difficult to overstate. In just three years, global prices for core energy transition minerals have collapsed. Between May 2022 and May 2025, prices for cobalt fell nearly 60 percent. Nickel prices plunged 73 percent, while lithium prices cratered by almost 87 percent. In each case, price collapses coincided with waves of supply from China or Chinese-backed operations, forcing western producers to shut down or defer investment.
Baskaran further explains that these price dynamics aren’t accidental.
Chinese companies — which often receive subsidies, low-interest loans or direct state support — can afford to operate at near-zero or even negative profit margins, squeezing out foreign firms that need to show a return on capital.
When it comes to rare earths, with 90 percent of refining under its control, China can suppress prices long enough to bankrupt competition, then raise prices once dominance is assured.
For Baskaran, the closure of Jervois Global's (ASX:JRV,OTC Pink:JRVMQ) cobalt mine in Idaho and BHP's (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP)Nickel West project in Australia illustrate how fragile western efforts are when exposed to this kind of strategic economic pressure.
Tariffs alone won’t cut it
To date, responses from the US have largely focused on domestic industrial policy — subsidies, tax credits and isolated tariffs. But given the country’s relatively small share of global minerals demand — just 1.7 percent for rare earths, for example — US actions alone are unlikely to move the needle.
“While tariffs can be an effective instrument, a single country acting alone is unlikely to make a significant difference for mineral prices given the small size of their offtake markets,” Baskaran stresses.
Instead, she suggests that any meaningful response must involve coordinated policy across a coalition of major consuming nations. The proposed solution is a shared “anchor market” — a bloc of like-minded countries that harmonize tariffs, coordinate investment protections and implement shared procurement rules.
If executed well, she believes this approach could flip the current dynamic, placing reciprocal pressure on China while supporting market conditions where western producers can survive.
“A unified market of this scale would be capable of challenging China’s dominance and providing the West with meaningful strategic leverage,” she adds in her piece.
Such a coalition is not hypothetical. The Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), an initiative involving 14 countries and the EU, already exists to foster cooperation on supply chain resilience.
With a combined market of nearly 2.8 billion people — double the population of China — Baskaran states that the MSP represents a latent force that, if fully activated, could counterbalance Chinese leverage.
Leverage through scale and policy
The power of an anchor market lies in its ability to send long-term price signals and create investor certainty.
Gradual import quotas, for instance, could mandate that a growing share of mineral inputs — starting at 10 percent and scaling to 60 percent over a decade — come from within anchor market countries.
Baskaran explains that unlike tax incentives, which are temporary and non-binding, quotas offer a durable guarantee that demand will materialize, helping de-risk large-scale mineral investments.
Equally important is investment protection. Chinese firms continue to buy up critical minerals assets abroad, even in a weak price environment, ensuring that they control future supply. If this trend continues, any market-based response from the west may simply enrich Chinese shareholders in the long run.
Australia’s key role and the G7’s moment for market unity
Baskaran highlights that, among potential partners, Australia stands out.
With rich deposits of 31 critical minerals and advanced mining capabilities, it is essential to any serious diversification plan. Mining already contributes over 13 percent to its GDP, compared to just over 1 percent in the US.
Politically, Australia has taken a hardline stance on Chinese influence, from banning Huawei in 2018 to imposing university research safeguards and building a state-backed mineral reserve to reduce foreign dependency.
The G7 summit in Canada offers a unique moment to align policy. All G7 countries have identified critical minerals security as a priority. By formalizing the anchor market concept, Baskaran argues that the G7 nations and their partners could finally mount a credible economic counteroffensive: “The anchor market can shift leverage away from Beijing and toward a more resilient, rules-based minerals ecosystem.”
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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16 June
Burgum Endorses Colosseum Rare Earths Project in Continued Critical Minerals Push
The Trump administration is fast tracking development of Dateline Resources’ (ASX:DTR,OTC Pink:DTREF) Colosseum rare earths project in California as part of its push to boost domestic critical minerals supply.
In a recent interview, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum highlighted the project as a priority under the government's critical minerals strategy, stating that the US has "to get back in the game in a serious way around critical minerals.”
For his part, US President Donald Trump has called the project "America’s second rare earths mine.” He first announced Colosseum's approval in an April 21 Truth Social post, listing it as a weekly achievement.
The Colosseum project sits in the Walker Lane Trend in East San Bernardino County, California, only 10 kilometers north of MP Materials’ (NYSE:MP) Mountain Pass mine, the only operating rare earths mine in the US.
Mountain Pass is also the highest-grade rare earths mine in the world.
According to Burgum, the endorsement from the government stems from the US’ push to restart domestic rare earths production and reduce dependence on other countries such as China.
Currently, China remains the biggest rare earths producer by far, producing 270,000 metric tons in 2024. That’s about 70 percent of the total production for the year, which was recorded at 390,000 metric tons.
The ongoing trade war has created tensions between the US and China, raising questions about supply chain security.
Some relief was seen last week — the BBC reported that China has agreed to supply US companies with magnets and rare earths as part of Trump’s deal with Xi Jinping, president of China. In return, the US said it will walk back its threats to revoke the visas of Chinese nationals at US colleges and universities.
Trump addressed the arrangement via a June 11 Truth Social update, stating that he has “always been good” with including Chinese students in colleges and universities.
Dateline has a green light to explore and extract rare earths from Colosseum, as well as gold.
“We have seen growing interest out of the US, particularly after recent milestones at Colosseum,” the Sydney Morning Herald quotes Dateline Managing Director Stephen Baghdadi as saying.
Dateline said in May that it had started the process to uplist to the OTCQB. Should the OTCQB listing go through, the company will still continue to meet its ASX disclosure requirements.
The same month, the company said it had begun preparations for a rare earths-focused drill program at Colosseum, and would complete it alongside a planned gold feasibility study for the site.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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12 June
Australian Strategic Reports Bump in Rare Earths Sales Enquiries
Australian Strategic Materials (ASX:ASM,OTC Pink:ASMMF) has confirmed the sale of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) metal and neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) alloy to its key partners.
Supply came from the company's critical metals facility in South Korea's Ochang Foreign Investment Zone. Located 115 kilometres south of Seoul, the plant opened in May 2022 and is Australian Strategic's flagship metallisation plant.
According to Australian Strategic, it is the only ASX-listed company capable of producing rare earth metals and alloys commercially. The plant is one of the few facilities outside of China capable of producing the high-tech metals and alloys needed for clean energy technologies, advanced manufacturing, defence and aerospace.
Australian Strategic shared that recent work carried out at the plant, together with ongoing trade and geopolitical uncertainty, has resulted in numerous sales enquiries and customer discussions.
“As rare earth supply chains face increasing vulnerability due to China’s export restrictions, ASM is continuing to develop existing and potential customer relationships, positioned to deliver an alternative supply to the rest of world," the company explains in a press release issued on June 6.
Its customers include big and small permanent magnet manufacturers in South Korea, the US and Europe
Australian Strategic also revealed that it will use existing stock and oxides from an Australian supplier to meet demand, and is currently in discussions with Canada-based Ucore Rare Metals (TSXV:UCU,OTCQX:UURAF) for more oxide supply.
In Australia, rare earths have increasingly been in demand, with the government looking to secure rare earths independence using various tactics. These include project investments, strategic partnerships and tax incentives.
Australian Strategic received AU$5 million for its Dubbo rare earths project under the Australian government’s International Partnerships in Critical Minerals Program in October 2024.
As of 2025, Australia ranks fourth in both rare earths reserves and output.
Recently, Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC,OTC Pink:LYSCF), the world’s only producer of separated rare earths outside of China, became the first producer of heavy rare earths outside China after starting production at its Malaysian facility.
Australian Strategic will continue to work with relevant partners and update the market as further sales occur.
“In recent months, ASM’s position as one of the leading ex-China producers of NdPr metal and NdFeB alloy has been cemented,” Managing Director and CEO Rowena Smith commented.
“Having navigated rigorous validation processes with existing and potential customers, proving our capability and product quality, we are now in a position to leverage our growing experience and reputation in the industry.”
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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11 June
Change of Director's Interest Notice (T Sage)
11 June
Widespread Natural Rutile Observed Throughout the Central Rutile Tenement Package
DY6 Metals Ltd (ASX: DY6, “DY6” or “Company”) is pleased to announce the initial results from the reconnaissance exploration program at the Central Rutile Project, Cameroon. Desktop studies incorporating detailed geological mapping, geophysics, and known mineral occurrences, were used to define initial, high priority targets for ground-truthing. The reconnaissance programme, which consisted of auger sampling, road-cutting channel sampling, soil sampling and stream sediment sampling, was successful in identifying heavy mineral (HM) and natural rutile mineralisation across all five tenements that make up the Central Rutile project. Rutile nuggets, ranging in size from 1mm+ to 2cm+, were observed in alluvial and eluvial (residual) sources. Samples collected from the initial exploration programme are currently being prepped for dispatch to the Company’s laboratory for analysis in South Africa, with results expected in August 2025.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Reconnaissance auger and grab sampling programme nearing completion at the Central Rutile Project, with a detailed soil sampling programme to commence shortly
- Soil sampling programme will be used to rapidly identify areas of higher grade HM and rutile mineralisation, which will be followed up on with a large auger drilling campaign in the September quarter
- Reconnaissance sampling undertaken across the 5 Central Rutile Project tenements has identified visible natural rutile from both alluvial and eluvial (residual) sources
- The identification of rutile across the entire tenement package is highly encouraging and reaffirms the Company’s belief that the region is an emerging, globally significant rutile province
- Samples collected from the reconnaissance program are due to be submitted for laboratory analysis in the coming weeks, with results expected in the September quarter
- The Company’s reconnaissance program at the Douala Basin HMS Project is ongoing, with initial results expected in the coming weeks
Non-executive Chairman, Dan Smith, commented:
“The in-country team has done a great job of mobilising to site so quickly. We are pleased with the initial results from the reconnaissance program at the Central Rutile project and the confirmation of widespread, natural rutile across the licences from both residual and alluvial sources. I look forward to the receipt of the assays in the coming months, as well as results from the ongoing exploration at the Douala Basin project.”
Technical Consultant, Cliff Fitzhenry, commented:
“The Central Rutile project covers a large (2,140km2) area, so this initial reconnaissance programme has only just scratched the surface of the potential for this area. We always knew the licences were in the right address, having the correct underlying geology, deep in-situ weathering profile, and known, historic rutile occurrences. The solid work of the in-country team, in conjunction with our Senior Exploration Geologist, Troth Saindi, is already paying dividends. Having achieved our initial goals, exploration at the Central Rutile project will shift from reconnaissance in nature to that of a detailed soil sampling programme. This will allow us to achieve greater coverage over the tenement package and will help to rapidly define zones of higher grade heavy mineral occurrences, which will be followed up with a large-scale auger sampling programme.
I am excited to get on the ground as soon as possible to help drive the exploration work as the project story unfolds.”
Reconnaissance exploration at the Central Rutile Project
As announced on 5 June 2025, the Company has commenced reconnaissance auger and grab sampling programmes at the Central Rutile and Douala Basin HMS projects, Cameroon. To date, at the Central Rutile Project the Company has completed 3 auger drill holes (refer Figure 1), collecting 10 samples in the process, as well as collected 42 channel samples from 7 road cutting exposures, 1 surface grab sample and 2 stream sediment samples for analysis (refer Tables 1-4).
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from DY6 Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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10 June
Hyundai Builds Rare Earths Stockpile to Offset Supply Risks
As global automakers brace for fallout from China’s tightening grip on rare earths exports, Hyundai Motor (KRX:005380,OTC Pink:HYMTF) appears to have quietly positioned itself ahead of the curve.
According to Reuters, a source familiar with the matter said on a recent investor call that the auto giant has stockpiled enough rare earth materials to maintain uninterrupted electric and hybrid vehicle production for about a year. The strategic stockpile should buy Hyundai critical time as supply chains buckle under mounting geopolitical tension.
China’s April decision to restrict exports of seven rare earths — a move requiring producers to obtain government licenses — has sent shockwaves through the auto, aerospace and semiconductor industries, particularly in the west.
But Hyundai, the world’s third largest automaker alongside affiliate Kia (KRX:000270), reportedly boosted its reserves during a brief window of relaxed Chinese controls, as per the source quoted by Reuters.
The Hyundai investor relations official reportedly told call participants that the company has “far more wiggle room” than rivals, citing successful procurement diversification and proactive inventory buildup.
Hyundai declined to confirm on inventory specifics in a public statement, but told Reuters, “We continuously evaluate market conditions to ensure operational stability and maintain a diversified global supply chain.”
Hyundai’s preparedness stands in contrast to the scramble now engulfing US and European manufacturers. Several major European suppliers have already reported production disruptions linked to delayed rare earths deliveries.
“We’re gradually coming into a very, very critical moment whereby those stocks are now being exhausted,” said Jonathan O’Riordan, international trade director at the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, in a Monday (June 9) interview with CNBC. “We are potentially going to see production stoppages.”
The rare earths crunch has become a central issue in US-China trade negotiations, which resumed on Monday in London and were set to continue Tuesday (June 10) morning, with Washington pushing for firmer guarantees.
Delegations led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and US officials — including Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer — convened at Lancaster House in a bid to stabilize relations that have deteriorated beyond tariffs into critical minerals and tech controls.
The talks follow a May 12 truce that paused most of the 100-percent-plus tariffs both countries had imposed. However, since then, the US has accused China of “slow-walking” commitments, particularly regarding rare earths shipments.
US President Donald Trump, who last week spoke directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, appeared optimistic on Monday, telling reporters at the White House, “We're doing well with China. China's not easy.”
He added, “We're going to see,” when asked about lifting rare earths restrictions.
Kevin Hassett, Trump’s economic advisor, said the US is seeking a “handshake” agreement on resumed rare earths shipments, signaling that the mineral supply chain has now taken center stage in the global trade war.
For its part, China over the weekend appeared to open a narrow diplomatic path, announcing a “green channel” to fast track rare earths export licenses to select European Union firms. The country's Ministry of Commerce also confirmed that it has quietly granted licenses to Chinese suppliers servicing major US automakers.
It remains unclear whether Hyundai’s buffer includes inventory held by its suppliers, or how the company may choose to ration usage in the event of further disruptions. Nonetheless, the South Korean firm’s ability to maintain stable production offers temporary reassurance for a jittery global auto market.
As trade talks continue in London, the question isn’t whether China will remain central to rare earths — it’s whether any other nations can afford to remain dependent.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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