
Helen Amos is joined by George Heppel and Max Yerrill to discuss the rise of critical minerals as an investment theme. They explore how geopolitical tensions, supply chain security concerns, and government policy have accelerated investor interest in commodities such as rare earths, tungsten, graphite, and antimony. The team discusses the emergence of 'national champions' following recent U.S. government funding announcements, how policy support is reshaping company valuations, and why developing domestic critical minerals supply chains remains a long-term challenge. They also highlight key catalysts to watch, including U.S.-China trade relations, export restrictions, and the next wave of government support for the sector.
Click here for transcript.
BMO clients can view our reports:
Rare Earths: Trade Discussions Creating a Long-Term Opportunity
Critical Minerals: After Rare Earths, What’s Next on the USA’s Wishlist?
Rare Earths: 2026, The Year of Execution
Critical Minerals: Mapping the USA’s Potential Investment Landscape
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Jun 30
39 min

Helen Amos and Katja Jancic discuss how the outlook for metallurgical and thermal coal prices has shifted following the major underground coal mine explosion in China in mid-May, which has triggered widespread closures, regulatory changes, and disciplinary action on several high-level government officials. They discuss what it might take for US met coal prices to close the gap with Pacific benchmarks, seasonal tailwinds for thermal coal, and implications of new US government coal funding.
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BMO clients can view our report:
Met Coal Enters Its Next Fragile Supply Era: Echoes of 2023
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Jun 9
29 min

In this episode, Helen Amos reviews key debates over Cesco Week 2026, including Iran conflict demand risks, sulphuric acid shortages, the U.S. arb, and challenges facing western-listed mining companies in their pursuit of copper growth. Demand side headwinds from higher oil prices are valid given historical precedent, but Helen highlights that much lower oil intensity of global GDP vs the ‘70s, a greater share of copper demand now being tied to strategic uses, intensifying stockpiling and underperforming mine supply, all provide strong positive offsets.
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BMO clients can view our reports :
Copper Shines at Cesco Week
Mining Costs With Higher Oil; What Are The Sensitivities?
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Apr 24
24 min

In this episode, Helen Amos and Joel Jackson discuss disruptions to fertiliser supply chains stemming from the Iran conflict. Nitrogen and sulphur prices have already seen huge gains (phosphate prices are rising too) with seemingly little slack in the system for a supply response to plug the gap. They discuss how this compares in scale with the onset of the Russia/Ukraine war in 2022, and what this means for mining operations dependant on sulphuric acid for leaching and ammonia nitrate for explosives.
Click here for transcript.
BMO clients can view our reports here:
Fertilizer Stocks Reawaken as Conflict Intensifies
Middle East Conflict Supply Risk: Aluminium and Iron Ore Pellets Vulnerable
Mining Costs With Higher Oil; What Are The Sensitivities?
BMO Special Event: Commodities: Middle East Conflict
First Attempt to Quantify Current Conflict, Comping to 2022 (and Even 2008)Another Week of War Escalation and Duration -Driven Volatility
Fertilizer and Methanol Impacts From Middle East and Iran Developments
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Mar 27
28 min

Commodity prices are reacting in a major way to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Please join our analysts, Randy Ollenberger, John McNulty, Joel Jackson, Helen Amos and George Heppel for a group conference call where we discuss our latest thoughts for near- and medium-term impacts on energy, metals, fertilizers, and chemicals markets.
Click here for transcript.
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Mar 10
35 min

BMO’s Base, Precious and Critical Minerals Analysts share the key takeaways, themes and developments from the 2026 Global Metals, Mining and Critical Minerals Conference.
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To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Mar 5
52 min

In this special Metal Matters podcast, BMO Commodities Analyst Helen
Amos is joined by Ro Dhawan, President and CEO of the ICMM to discuss how the role of sustainable mining is shifting in a world where mining and critical minerals has been thrust into the foreground of global geopolitics. They discuss the new Consolidated Mining Standard which marks a major turning point in harmonising standards across the industry, as well as progress made in tailings management, gender-based violence, and the urgency around improving safety performance. Ro suggests that the increase in government participation and M&A in mining could bring opportunities for sustainability too.
Click here for transcript.
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Feb 17
39 min

In this episode, Helen Amos discusses new highs in gold and silver prices as transatlantic tensions around Greenland’s future escalate. We look at how US metals stockpiling over Trump’s second term compares with the Cold War era, and reflect on new questions around China’s aluminium output, met coal’s steady come back and tin’s outperformance.
Click here for transcript
BMO clients can view our reports:
BMO Precious Metals Monitor: The Greenland Effect
The Age of Metals Stockpiling - How Much has the U.S. Accumulated?
Silver: Entering Dangerous Territory for the Gold:Silver Ratio
Met Coal Stirs From Its Slumber
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Jan 22
12 min

Helen Amos is joined by George Heppel to wrap up on the big developments and surprises over 2025. They discuss the recent surge in silver and platinum, what has kept metals prices high in the face of global tariffs, China’s reach on global metals supply chains, critical minerals investments, and the COMEX-LME copper arbitrage. They mull over some of the key themes and uncertainties into 2026.
BMO clients can view our reports,
2026 Metals & Bulk Commodity Price Update: Material World
BMO Precious Metals Monitor: Silver Bells Are Ringing
Click here for transcript
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Dec 22, 2025
34 min

In this episode, Helen Amos is joined by BMO’s Chief Economist Doug Porter to discuss the impact of big macro shifts on the metals and mining space. They talk everything from rate cuts, the US dollar, AI, de-dollarisation, global trade, and emerging market development.
Click here for transcript.
To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures
Nov 21, 2025
38 min
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