Resource nationalism and critical minerals

Minerals critical to the clean energy transition are heavily concentrated in a few key economies. How will the domestic policies of these economies affect the supply chains for these minerals? Indonesia’s nickel resources are a key focus – the Wire China declares it a ‘nickel pickle’, while Joseph Rachman reports that China has sewn up this market, and Cullen Hendrix advocates for Indonesia to do away with its nickel export bans. Meanwhile, the EU faces challenges in developing indigenous rare earths supply chains, and Latin America is nationalizing its critical minerals resources, per the Economist.

Mentioned publications

The Nickel Pickle – Eliot Chen, The Wire China, May 7, 2023
Can Indonesia take advantage of massive Chinese investment while enjoying access to US incentives?
China Has Sewn Up a Critical Metals Market – Joseph Rachman, Foreign Policy, April 17, 2023
Nickel is a critical mineral for EV production, and China has a dominant share of it in Indonesia.
Indonesia wants to sell nickel to the US, but first it should scrap its export bans – Cullen S. Hendrix, Peterson Institute for International Economics, April 26, 2023
Should Indonesia limit its use of export bans in order to benefit from US IRA incentives?
Rare Earth Reshore – Luke Patey, The Wire China, April 23, 2023
Can Europe successfully establish a rare earths supply chain within the EU?
The green revolution will stall without Latin America’s lithium – The Economist, May 2, 2023
How will resource nationalism affect production of critical minerals?