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Every month, this briefing examines the key geo-economic and policy trends shaping the mine-to-grid supply chains, from critical minerals to electric vehicles (EVs). ","text",{"type":570,"attrs":571,"content":573},"heading",{"level":572,"textAlign":49},4,[574],{"text":575,"type":568,"marks":576},"1. What is the impact of the Middle East conflict and the Strait of Hormuz disruption on critical minerals, battery and EV supply chains",[577],{"type":578},"bold",{"type":563,"attrs":580,"content":582},{"textAlign":581},"justify",[583,585,592],{"text":584,"type":568},"The current conflict in the Middle East is exposing how maritime chokepoints can be turned into geopolitical weapons, with consequences for critical minerals, batteries and electric vehicles (EVs). The Strait of Hormuz is not only a vital bloodline for crude exports and more broadly the world economy; it is also central to seaborne trade in sulphur - roughly ",{"text":586,"type":568,"marks":587},"50% of global seaborne sulphur trade - ",[588],{"type":589,"attrs":590},"textStyle",{"color":591},"",{"text":593,"type":568},"a feedstock essential for sulphuric acid, in turn essential for copper and battery-grade cobalt and nickel intermediates. Together with the threat posed by Houthi rebels around Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea, the crisis underlines a broader geoeconomic reality: the supply and energy security remains heavily dependent on vulnerable shipping lanes that can be disrupted. Despite its dependence on Middle Eastern oil supplies, China appears well-positioned for now, thanks to its dominant role in battery and EV manufacturing and its substantial strategic oil reserves.",{"type":563,"attrs":595,"content":596},{"textAlign":581},[597],{"text":598,"type":568},"Here is what the Middle East crisis and the Strait of Hormuz disruption mean for critical minerals, batteries and EVs:",{"type":600,"attrs":601},"blok",{"id":602,"body":603},"e0d156f1-d114-44ac-b087-ebfc1d08e30e",[604],{"id":605,"_uid":606,"type":607,"component":608,"fixed_height":591,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":591,"fixed_height_tablet":591},"28346968","7030ae14-4310-4c10-be4f-2772d5cee4ef","visualisation","ContentFlourish",{"type":570,"attrs":610,"content":611},{"level":572,"textAlign":581},[612,616],{"text":613,"type":568,"marks":614},"2. Monthly round-up of ",[615],{"type":578},{"text":617,"type":568,"marks":618},"the remaining key geopolitical and policy updates",[619,622],{"type":589,"attrs":620},{"color":621},"black",{"type":578},{"type":600,"attrs":624},{"id":625,"body":626},"e6772203-abc8-4c91-9fbb-036ca8d2e0d1",[627],{"id":628,"_uid":629,"type":607,"component":608,"fixed_height":591,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":591,"fixed_height_tablet":591},"28346855","90ed1b85-8db4-4037-8451-9d89c7ca5a15",{"type":570,"attrs":631,"content":632},{"level":572,"textAlign":581},[633],{"text":634,"type":568,"marks":635},"3. 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Major stock indices in the US, Europe and Asia have some under pressure as investors price in weaker growth, higher input costs and the possibility that central banks may have less room to cut rates if the energy shock feeds through into consumer prices.",{"type":563,"attrs":653,"content":654},{"textAlign":581},[655,657],{"text":656,"type":568},"Inflation fears sit at the centre of the market story. What began as a geopolitical crisis has increasingly been interpreted as a potential energy-driven inflation shock, complicating the policy outlook just as investors had expected a more benign path for prices and interest rates.",{"text":658,"type":568,"marks":659}," ",[660],{"type":589,"attrs":661},{"color":591},"This is your monthly geo-economic and policy briefing, part of your Benchmark Source subscription. Every month, this briefing examines the key geo-economic and policy trends shaping the mine-to-grid supply chains, from critical minerals to electric vehicles (EVs)","briefing",[665,667,670,672,675,678,681,684,687,690,692,694],{"slug":666,"name":263},"anode",{"slug":668,"name":669},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":671,"name":115},"cobalt",{"slug":673,"name":674},"copper","Copper",{"slug":676,"name":677},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":679,"name":680},"ess","ESS",{"slug":682,"name":683},"ev","EV",{"slug":685,"name":686},"geopolitics","Geopolitics",{"slug":688,"name":689},"graphite","Graphite",{"slug":691,"name":150},"nickel",{"slug":693,"name":420},"rare-earths",{"slug":695,"name":696},"synthetic-graphite","Synthetic Graphite","private","monthly","Apr 02, 2026","2nd April 2026",{"slug":702,"title":703,"cardImage":704,"description":705,"frequency":706},"geo-economic-and-policy-briefings","Geo Economic And Policy Briefings","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/x/c23333c1e3/geo-economic-policy-hero.avif","This Briefing unpacks the month's key policies impacting global and regional energy transition supply chains.","Monthly",[],[],1792773991590]