The US Defense Department canceled a tender to buy cobalt, in a fresh sign of the challenges facing Western countries trying to bolster domestic supplies of the battery metal…The Defense Logistics Agency first sought offers in mid-August for up to 7,500 tons of cobalt over the next five years in a contract worth as much as $500 million. It was the US government’s first attempt to acquire the metal since 1990, Bloomberg News previously reported…The DLA extended the deadline for offers multiple times, from the original due date of Aug. 29 out to Oct. 15. Now, the tender has been dropped, in an apparent setback to US efforts to replenish its critical-mineral reserves after decades of declines…“There are outstanding issues with the Statement of Work that need resolution before offers may be solicited,” according to a notice published on a US government website on Wednesday. “Upon resolution, solicitation will be re-issued with a new opening and closing date.”…Strengthening supply chains for metals like cobalt has become a political priority for the US and other Western nations, as governments seek to reduce their reliance on China…Cobalt is used in rechargeable batteries, including in electric vehicles, as well as a range of applications in magnets and military systems, while its alloys are deployed in munitions and jet engines. Beijing dominates cobalt processing and has built up a significant state stockpile.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the flow of Canadian critical minerals, uranium, and potash to the United States could be cut off if President Donald Trump continues to threaten Canada’s economy…Speaking at the 2025 Toronto Global Forum on Thursday morning, Ford said the U.S. needs Canada as a partner in order to meet growing energy demand, particularly from the data centres needed to fuel rapid adoption of artificial intelligence…Ford also spoke about critical minerals. These include metals like nickel and cobalt, which are widely used in electric vehicle batteries, as well as other rare earth elements for high-tech applications like smartphones, laptops, medical devices, and defence systems…“We will not send a grain of critical minerals down there as long as we're under constant attack by President Trump,” Ford said. “'I'd love to send them down to our neighbours, but it's not going to happen.”…Underscoring America's challenge in procuring critical minerals, the U.S. Defense Department cancelled a bid for up to US$500 million in cobalt over five years. A U.S. government website stated on Wednesday that the tender will be re-opened in the future, following multiple deadline extensions.

General Motors Co. and a partner have paused the second phase of a cathode factory in Quebec, resulting in the cancellation of a nickel sulfate project by Vale SA…“GM’s long-term strategy is to build a profitable EV business in North America and in light of evolving market dynamics, GM and our partners will pause the second phase of the project,” which involved increasing production capacity of cathode active material, a GM spokesperson said in an emailed statement…The Detroit company’s partner in the Quebec venture is South Korea’s Posco Future M Co. The first phase is on track to begin producing material for EV batteries next year, the spokesperson said.