Tariffs and markets swings are pushing developing countries rich in critical minerals such as cobalt, copper, gold, and lithium, to tighten their grip on their resources more than ever before, a new analysis from risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft shows.
This trend, which has accelerated over the past five years, poses major challenges for mining companies and coincides with intensifying geopolitical competition for raw materials essential to global industries.
According to the Verisk Maplecroft’s annual Resource Nationalism Index (RNI), which measures government control of economic activity within the mining and energy sectors across the globe, 47 countries – including 17 major critical mineral producers – have seen a record increase in risk since 2020.
Among the 10 highest-risk jurisdictions are major oil and gas producers with a history of expropriations, nationalizations, and tax…
