April 10, 2026 -  

Bloomberg is reporting that the US and EU are nearing a deal on how the two will work together to secure critical minerals, including minimum price guarantees for non?Chinese suppliers, and cooperation on standards, investments and joint projects.

Elsewhere, Venezuela yesterday approved a mining law to open the country’s mining assets to private and foreign investment. The law allows domestic, foreign, state-owned and private companies or consortiums to pursue gold and “strategic minerals” through 30 year concessions. Mineral deposits remain the property of the state and disputes can be resolved through arbitration.

And in dealmaking news, HiTech Minerals, a subsidiary of Jindalee Lithium is combining with Constellation Acquisition Corp. to create a new company called US Elemental. The combined company will then go public. The goal of the deal, which will close later this year, is to position the company closer to US capital markets, align with supply chain priorities, and support the continued development of the company’s projects.