Key Currents — Minerals, Grids and the Repricing of Physical Constraints

Week of 2026-10-12 to 2026-10-18

Every week, Sarah, James and Emma break down global news in 5 to 8 minutes.

In this episode

critical minerals and resource nationalism, electricity grids, industrial automation, soft commodities, shipping and trade routes

Keywords: critical minerals, rare earths, resource nationalism, electricity grid, data centres, industrial automation, AI in manufacturing, cocoa prices, coffee, food inflation, shipping, freight rates, supply chain resilience

Key Currents — China's Five-Year Plan, Washington's Debt Math, AI's Power Hunger, and the Minerals Race

Week of 2026-10-05 to 2026-10-11

Every week, Sarah, James and Emma break down global news in 5 to 8 minutes.

In this episode

industrial policy, sovereign debt, AI energy demand, critical minerals, climate finance, global trade, geopolitics, supply chains

Keywords: China Fifth Plenum, Fifteenth Five-Year Plan, overcapacity, IMF World Bank Annual Meetings, sovereign debt, Common Framework, AI data centers, electricity demand, PJM capacity auction, critical minerals, rare earths, cobalt, DRC, Critical Raw Materials Act, COP31, climate finance

Key Currents — Rare Earths, the AI Power Crunch, Europe's Mercosur Gamble and Africa's Lobito Corridor

Week of 2026-10-05 to 2026-10-11

Every week, Sarah, James and Emma break down global news in 5 to 8 minutes.

In this episode

critical minerals, energy transition, electricity grid, international trade, agriculture, supply chains, industrial policy

Keywords: critical minerals, rare earths, price floors, AI data centres, electricity demand, grid capacity, EU-Mercosur, trade policy, deforestation, Lobito Corridor, copper, cobalt, supply chain de-risking, small modular reactors