Friday, March 20
Kolkata: Coal India Ltd's board on Wednesday approved setting up an intermediate holding company in Chile to pursue critical minerals opportunities, including lithium and copper, as both countries move closer to finalising a free trade agreement.Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had recently said negotiations between India and Chile for an FTA would be concluded soon and the pact would provide greater access to critical minerals for domestic businesses.Chile has large reserves of lithium, copper, rhenium, molybdenum and cobalt, which are key inputs for sectors such as electronics, automobiles and solar energy.In a regulatory filing, CIL said it will hold 100 per cent equity in the proposed intermediate holding company in Chile. The incorporation will be subject to regulatory appr
Washington: In his year since returning to office, President Donald Trump has shown disdain for longstanding alliances, vowing "America First" even if US friends lose out.But on Wednesday, his administration will attempt the closest it has come to traditional alliance diplomacy, leading a meeting of more than 50 countries on ensuring a stable supply of critical minerals.The trigger is simple -- China. The Asian power, seen by the United States as its long-term rival, has secured a dominant role over critical minerals, including rare earths vital to modern technologies from smartphones to electric cars to fighter jets.China, flexing muscle in a trade war launched by Trump, last year tightened its supply chain for rare earths, sending shivers through the global economy.China -- which mines s
