A Congolese ministerial committee recommended measures to bolster a temporary ban on cobalt exports, including working with Indonesia, the No. 2 supplier of the battery metal…The Democratic Republic of Congo, which produces more than three-quarters of the world’s cobalt, imposed a surprise four-month suspension of shipments in late February…The government is now considering longer-term policies to generate more value from extracting and processing the metal, and prevent stockpiled material flooding out of Congo when the ban is lifted…That includes “obtaining Indonesia’s collaboration” to “better control” cobalt supply and prices on the global market…The committee also recommended the introduction of export quotas and requirements to boost domestic processing, the minutes said, without providing further details. 

Bismuth prices in Europe have surged to all-time highs as China's export controls squeeze supplies of the mineral used in atomic research, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, according to traders and experts…Prices of bismuth have jumped to $40 a lb on the European spot market, an all-time high, up from $6 per lb in late January, a more than six-fold rise…In the United States, bismuth prices are even higher - at $55 a lb compared with $6.5-$7 before China's export curbs…China in February announced plans to impose export controls on five key metals, opens new tab - tungsten, tellurium, molybdenum, bismuth, and indium - in response to Trump's import tariffs. "At the moment there are no supply sources to fully replace Chinese material," commodity analysts with business intelligence company CRU Group told Reuters…"As much of the supply tightness is based on policy, it can ease very quickly. But assuming a full stop of Chinese bismuth exports, new capacity ex-China would be necessary."

In this interview, Fortune Minerals (TSX: FT | OTCQB: FTMDF) President & CEO Robin E. Goad discusses the company's strategic position of controlling 12% of global bismuth reserves. Beyond bismuth, Fortune Minerals' NICO project in Canada’s Northwest Territories contains multi-million ounces of gold, cobalt, and copper, providing stability against commodity price fluctuations.