Chris Grove: Metals for the 21st Century

Tom welcomes back Christopher Grove, President of Commerce Resources. Editor's Note: Apologies for the number of flips back and forth, Zoom seems to have developed a case of Tourette Syndrome. Listening may be preferable on this one, although you do get extra screen time with Tom. :) Christopher discusses the demand for rare earths and where the market is at currently. We've seen prices more than double since July 2020. There are four core rare earths used in manufacturing permanent magnets, and those have double or triple over the last decade. There is a huge list of products where these metals are essential. They are a group of seventeen different metals that are needed globally. Magnets are needed in everything from leaf blowers to your electric toothbrush. Demand is expected to rise with electric vehicle sales. Chris discusses the development of new production facilities around the world because of the strategic nature of these resources. Canada is taking a fairly keen interest in developing these metals and the opportunities in this sector. Australia appears to be a major interest in developing and helping finance these types of projects. The biggest issues with rare earths are the economic viability of the projects and difficulties in obtaining adequate financing. Quality of the final product is key with these metals. He believes that rare earths represent a sizeable opportunity. Time Stamp References:0:00 - Introduction0:44 - Rare Earth Rundown3:30 - Rare Earth Chart8:10 - Future Supply12:10 - Ukraine & Russia17:12 - Rare Earth Development25:37 - Deposit Differences27:45 - Biggest Obstacles30:10 - Processing Economics32:29 - Opportunity34:50 - Wrap Up Talking Points From This Episode * The basics of rare earth metals and pricing and production.* Supply issues and some governments are assisting the mining industry.* Types of deposits and the difficulty of producing these metals. Guest Links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/commercerescceWebsite: https://commerceresources.com/ Mr. Christopher Grove is President and Director of Commerce Resources since September 2014. Previously, he worked as Corporate Communications for Commerce since 2004 and has significant contacts within the financial communities in North America and Europe. Mr. Grove joined the Commerce Resource board in 2012 and has been active in representing the company abroad.