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Japan's thermal coal imports rose 33% year-on-year to 7.82-million tonnes in June 2026, the third consecutive monthly increase, as utilities switched from liquefied natural gas after spot LNG prices surged 47% above pre-war levels following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea's thermal coal arrivals climbed 41% to 7.30-million tonnes in June, with both countries seeking energy security after the US-Israeli war on Iran stranded 20% of global LNG supply produced by Qatar, while Japan's domestic air travel demand grew 2.8% year-on-year in May.
Canada and Japan explore critical minerals stockpiling to reduce China dependenceCanada and Japan are negotiating joint mining projects, offtake agreements and stockpiling arrangements for critical minerals including graphite and gallium, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu says. The talks follow China's February 2026 ban on dual-use exports to 20 Japanese entities and Japan's push to diversify rare earth supplies, with Australia's International Graphite securing a three-year agreement to supply up to 10 000 t/y of micronised graphite to Hong Kong-based Wogen Pacific for distribution to Japan and South Korea.
Shell forecasts data centres to drive Japanese LNG demand growthData centres are emerging as a new source of power demand in mature Asian markets such as Japan, Shell reports in its 2026 LNG Outlook, which forecasts global LNG demand will rise 65% to nearly 700-million tonnes a year by 2050. South and Southeast Asia will account for about 40% of global LNG imports by 2050 as countries seek lower-emission alternatives to coal, with around 200-million tonnes a year of new liquefaction capacity required beyond projects already under construction.
Japan Updates
Sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to have the fastest 5G subscription growth globally, rising from about 30-million in 2025 to about 370-million by 2031. By 2031, total mobile subscriptions in...
Despite metal price and import tariff headwinds, platinum jewellery delivered growth across all markets in 2025, generating the highest demand level since 2019. South Africa is the world's largest...
The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has reported that total global air passenger traffic fell by -2.2%, year-on-year, in...
Global liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand is expected to rise by around 65% by 2050, driven largely by Asia as countries seek lower-emission alternatives to coal and data centres boost power...
Canada and Japan are working on a range of mining projects, including potential joint stockpiling, Canada's Trade Minister told Reuters, as Japan moves to diversify supplies of critical minerals...
Asia's imports of seaborne thermal coal are rebounding as China boosts purchases to compensate for soft domestic output and Japan and South Korea seek energy security amid the fallout from the...
AirTrunk is building its second hyperscale data centre in Osaka.
ASX-listed International Graphite (IG6) has secured a three-year commercial agreement to supply graphite concentrate to Hong Kong-based trading company Wogen Pacific. As part of the agreement,...
The government of Alberta, Canada's main oil-producing province, is in talks to export more crude oil to Japan and reduce that country's reliance on the Middle East, the province's Energy Minister...
Despite metal price and import tariff headwinds, platinum jewellery delivered growth across all markets in 2025, generating the highest demand level since 2019. South Africa is the world's largest...
Australia’s first carbon refinery opened in New South Wales, capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from explosives giant Orica's ammonia-making operations on Kooragang Island and turning it into products...
Australian unions said on Wednesday that they have reached a deal with Japan's Inpex to end strikes at the Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) onshore and offshore facilities. Australia's Offshore...
A deadly mining accident in China's biggest coal-producing region and mounting policy chaos around Indonesian exports are choking global supplies, which analysts and industry officials say could...
TSX-V-listed Ucore Rare Metals has announced a strategic cooperation framework with Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA) to support the development of a diversified rare earth supply chain...
Share markets and bonds rallied hard on Monday and oil prices tumbled 5% as a framework peace deal between the US and Iran promised to ease inflationary pressures globally and lessen the need for...
Australia's Offshore Alliance plans to extend until July 6 action that could disrupt liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, it said on Monday, after a tribunal rejected plant operator Inpex's bid...
Martin Creamer talks about Manganese Metal Company, rare earths in the Northern Cape and Junior mining opportunities.
India's State-owned Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and NMDC are exploring acquisitions of coking coal assets in Russia as New Delhi seeks to secure supplies of critical raw materials, Indian...
Japanese rare earth magnet manufacturer Shin-Etsu Chemical plans to build a new rare earth refining facility in Fukui prefecture in western Japan to strengthen its supply chain, a spokesperson...
Japan-based trading and investment company Marubeni Corporation has acquired South Africa’s automotive retail and services group TiAuto Investments. Founded in 1967, TiAuto is an automotive...
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