Critical Resources
Critical Resources Law and Risk Management: Minerals, Agriculture, Water Critical minerals, rare earth elements, agriculture, and water are essential for life, and for modern life. Managing the reliable and timely…
After Cobalt Heist, Review Minerals Transit, Storage and Insurance Practices
At this point, one or few reported new incidents of cobalt (or other critical minerals) thefts/security risks are insufficient to make any reasonable predictions as to what action would be reasonable. However, news of such incidents should be closely monitored by suppliers/exporters, buyers/importers, finance intermediaries, and logistics services providers. Related storage, transit and insurance practices and terms should be noted for review if and when circumstances appear to warrant such action.
China Restricts Rare Earths Exports
China's restrictions on rare earths processing technology exports take a page from the U.S. export controls playbook.
China’s Rare Earths Export Controls: A Page From U.S. Law?
China might take a targeted approach to any restrictions on rare earth elements that echoes, or effectively duplicates, the approach of the United States, which is to control exports based on "end use" and "end user" where one or both conflict with or potentially undermine U.S. national security interests (which include technological leadership and economic security).
Tech Wars: Restrictions on Foreign Access to U.S. Technology
Measures to curb foreign access to U.S. technology have taken and will likely take various forms that will cut across industries and legal disciplines. Among them, as discussed below, are restrictions on foreign access to and influence on U.S. technology through (1) foreign investment, (2) supply chain exclusions, (3) limits on participation in academic and other research, (4) legal or political curbs on U.S. technology access or transfers through third countries, and (5) countermeasures against foreign control of raw materials essential to technological manufacturing and innovation.
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MassPoint Legal and Strategy Advisory/Hdeel Abdelhady publications on banking and finance, compliance and governance, and investment with focuses on emerging and growth markets and strategic investments in food, agriculture and water.
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MassPoint Legal and Strategy Advisory PLLC, a boutique law and strategy firm serving diverse U.S. and international clients.
Trump’s Africa Strategy Targets Corruption. Extractives, and Chinese Presence
The Trump Administration's newly released Africa Strategy is likely to bring greater anti-corruption enforcement, particularly against Chinese state-owned and private firms, as well as against African officials, and African and third country private parties. Extractives industries, particularly involving nonfuel minerals like cobalt, are likely to be of particular interest.