Latest news with #USGeologicalSurvey
The Herald
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald
SA will seek new markets for minerals if US imposes high tariffs: Mantashe
South Africa will need to seek out alternative markets for its critical minerals exports if the US hits the country with steep tariffs, said mineral and petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday. South Africa is by far the world's leading producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), which are used in car catalytic converters and are among critical minerals subject to a US investigation that could result in new import levies. Washington launched that probe in part to pressure Beijing. China is a top global producer of 30 of the 50 minerals considered critical by the US Geological Survey and has been curtailing exports. 'If the US imposes high tariffs, we must look for alternative markets,' said Mantashe on the sidelines of a G20 meeting on critical minerals. South African exports of mineral products and precious metals to the US were valued at R65.3bn ($3.64bn) last year. PGMs, largely produced by miners Valterra Platinum and Impala Platinum, accounted for 76.3% of that total. Other South African exports to the US — its second-biggest bilateral trading partner after China — include gold, diamonds, iron and manganese ores, and coal. 'We should never be bullied for our own resources. If people want to trade with us, it must be on terms that are mutually beneficial,' Mantashe said. As President Donald Trump has sought to leverage tariff threats to reshape global trade, South Africa has had a fraught relationship with his administration, which has attacked its domestic race policy and its genocide case against Israel. South Africa's exports to the US are facing the prospect of a 30% baseline tariff from August 1, though PGMs are currently excluded from those levies. Pretoria is awaiting a response from Washington to a counterproposal it submitted last month in hopes of avoiding the 30% rate, South African officials said on Monday. Reuters
TimesLIVE
10 hours ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
SA will seek new markets for minerals if US imposes high tariffs: Mantashe
South Africa will need to seek out alternative markets for its critical minerals exports if the US hits the country with steep tariffs, said mineral and petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday. South Africa is by far the world's leading producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), which are used in car catalytic converters and are among critical minerals subject to a US investigation that could result in new import levies. Washington launched that probe in part to pressure Beijing. China is a top global producer of 30 of the 50 minerals considered critical by the US Geological Survey and has been curtailing exports. 'If the US imposes high tariffs, we must look for alternative markets,' said Mantashe on the sidelines of a G20 meeting on critical minerals. South African exports of mineral products and precious metals to the US were valued at R65.3bn ($3.64bn) last year. PGMs, largely produced by miners Valterra Platinum and Impala Platinum, accounted for 76.3% of that total. Other South African exports to the US — its second-biggest bilateral trading partner after China — include gold, diamonds, iron and manganese ores, and coal. 'We should never be bullied for our own resources. If people want to trade with us, it must be on terms that are mutually beneficial,' Mantashe said. As President Donald Trump has sought to leverage tariff threats to reshape global trade, South Africa has had a fraught relationship with his administration, which has attacked its domestic race policy and its genocide case against Israel. South Africa's exports to the US are facing the prospect of a 30% baseline tariff from August 1, though PGMs are currently excluded from those levies. Pretoria is awaiting a response from Washington to a counterproposal it submitted last month in hopes of avoiding the 30% rate, South African officials said on Monday.
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First Post
a day ago
- Climate
- First Post
Earthquake of magnitude 6.3 hits Bay of Bengal near Andaman and Nicobar Islands
A strong earthquake struck the Bay of Bengal near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands early Tuesday, just days after mild tremors were felt in Delhi. While no damage has been reported. read more A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck the Bay of Bengal near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around 12:11 am on Tuesday, July 29. According to the National Center for Seismology, the quake occurred at a depth of 10 km, with its epicentre located at 6.82°N latitude and 93.37°E longitude. So far, no damage or casualties have been reported. This comes just a week after mild tremors were felt in Delhi and nearby areas on July 22, when a 3.2 magnitude quake struck with its epicentre in Faridabad. No harm was reported then either. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In light of recent seismic activity, Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh will hold large-scale disaster preparedness drills from July 29 to August 1 across the NCR. Conducted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Indian Army, and the respective state governments, the drills aim to improve coordination during emergencies like earthquakes and chemical disasters. Meanwhile, Japan's northern Hokkaido region experienced a 5.3 magnitude quake on Monday, which rattled several districts but posed no tsunami threat. And last Friday, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the South Pacific near Samoa. The deep quake caused no reported damage, according to the US Geological Survey.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Earthquake of magnitude 6.3 strikes near Andaman and Nicobar Islands
An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 hit the Bay of Bengal, near the Andaman and Nicobar islands at around 12.11 am on Tuesday, July 29. There have been no reports of any damage or casualties so far. (Representational/Reuters) According to the National Center for Seismology, the depth of the quake of 10 km and the exact location was Latitude 6.82 N, Longitude 93.37 E. There have been no reports of any damage or casualties so far. This quake comes a week after mild tremors were felt across Delhi and the national capital region on July 22 morning. An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 struck with its epicentre in Faridabad. No damage to property or loss of life was reported. Also read: NDMA announces earthquake mock drills in Delhi-NCR during July 29 -Aug 1 To review preparedness during such disasters, Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have decided to conduct large-scale disaster management preparedness drills from July 29 to August 1 in the national capital region (NCR). The drills will be conducted to strengthen coordination and response mechanisms for major disasters like earthquakes and industrial chemical hazards, according to officials. These drills will be conducted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Indian Army and the state governments of Delhi, Haryana, and UP. Recent earthquakes On Monday, Japan's northern Hokkaido region was shook by an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 , which sent tremors through several districts and briefly startled residents, media reports said. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), officials confirmed that despite the strength of the tremors, there was no risk of a tsunami. On Friday, an earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck in the South Pacific near the island nation of Samoa. However, no apparent damage was caused. According to the US Geological Survey, the depth of the quake was 314 kilometres (195 miles) and it occurred 440 kilometres (273 miles) southwest of the capital Apia.
E&E News
a day ago
- Business
- E&E News
Interior push to fast-track minerals-from-waste projects faces backlash
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is moving to more quickly approve projects that extract minerals from mine waste by clawing back regulations and streamlining reviews, a move that stands to benefit a growing number of politically connected companies. Burgum in an order last week directed his agency to streamline federal rules for projects seeking to recover rare earths and minerals like cobalt, lithium and uranium from mining waste streams, tailings and abandoned mines. Citing President Donald Trump's declaration of an energy emergency, Burgum ordered the agency to update guidance to such projects eligible for federal funding and accelerate reviews, and he directed the U.S. Geological Survey to map and inventory federal mine waste sites. Advertisement 'By unlocking the potential of our mine waste, we are not only recovering valuable critical minerals essential for our economy and national security, but we are also leveraging groundbreaking research from the U.S. Geological Survey that identifies promising sources of these minerals,' Burgum said in a statement.
