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New Zealand is involved in talks with the United States over critical minerals as part of Donald Trump's plans to counter China's dominance over the industry. While no decisions have been made, Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed officials are working through analysis, targeted consultation and providing advice to relevant ministers. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment had earlier compiled a list of rare earth minerals with the potential to be produced in this country that includes Cobalt, Cesium, Tungsten and Antimony among many others. Data released this week from New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals revealed record numbers of mineral permit applications last year, with 9 out of ten applications approved in 2025 targetting gold. But it might be possible to extract several of these minerals without creating new mines. Professor Chris Bumby of Victoria University's Robinson Research Institute, is part of a project looking at nose to tail mining focusing on extracting antimony and tungsten from gold mine tailings.
