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Strategic Autonomy for Sale: How Trafigura Took Europe’s Zinc Shield
When De Tijd highlighted zinc’s vital role in the green transition, it might have sounded like a niche industrial story. Zinc may not appear on the European Commission’s list of “critical” materials, but its byproducts — germanium, indium, and gallium — are indispensable for semiconductors, fiber optics, batteries, and advanced defense systems. These rare metals place zinc smelters like Nyrstar at the heart of a geopolitical contest. As demand for critical minerals surges, Eu
Nov 143 min read


The Hidden Winners of the Global Commodities War
As geopolitical tensions and fears of war escalate, the race for strategic raw materials has reached a fever pitch among the world’s major power blocs. Commodity giants such as Glencore and Trafigura are cashing in on global scarcity, posting record-breaking profits that underscore their growing dominance in the global supply chain. Traders Thrive Amid Geopolitical Turmoil A recent Bloomberg article confirms that the world’s top metal traders are among the biggest beneficiari
Nov 112 min read


The EU dreams of autonomy, but is selling its future to the highest bidder.
“You're losing.” With these harsh words, Jamie Dimon, CEO of the world's largest bank, addressed Europe today in the Financial Times....
Jul 102 min read


Europe's Green Dream is Being Built on Borrowed Zinc
Last April, De Tijd warned that Europe must build 40 new mines and metal factories by 2030 to meet its own green transition targets — a...
May 232 min read


Italy’s biggest refinery in crisis three years after sale by Russia’s Lukoil
Another case of the #CuckooStrategy in action. Trafigura ’s playbook is becoming painfully familiar: leverage special situations emerging...
Apr 122 min read


Podcast: "The Lobito Corridor: Trafigura on track for Africa's mining heartland"
Public Eye’s latest podcast investigates the Angolan corruption scandal involving Trafigura. It sheds light on how the company allegedly...
Mar 271 min read


Trafigura to Pay $126 Million and Plead Guilty to Brazil Bribes
"Trafigura Group will pay $126 million and plead guilty to US charges related to bribery in Brazil, in the latest case involving...
Mar 271 min read


Nyrstar parent company Trafigura wants to partially nationalize zinc group
'Critical infrastructure and smelting capacity are a national security issue and therefore they need some kind of government ownership or...
Mar 262 min read


“The biggest hold-up in Belgian industrial history”
“The greatest hold-up in Belgian industrial history” — that is how the magazine Le Vif describes Trafigura’s role in the acquisition of...
Mar 71 min read


Nyrstar owner Trafigura convicted of corruption
It is hereby (once again) confirmed: Trafigura, the international commodities trader that hijacked the assets of Belgium's industrial...
Jan 312 min read


Trafigura and Ex-COO Convicted of Bribery by Swiss Court
Michael Wainwright "The ruling is a historic moment, making Wainwright the first senior executive at a major trading house ever to be...
Jan 311 min read


The Fight for Transparency and Justice: A Wake-Up Call for Europe
On December 2nd, trading giant Trafigura faces court over allegations of corruption involving its former parent company, Trafigura Beheer...
Jan 72 min read


Singapore-Based Trafigura Group Hit by Multiple Scandals
The post published by the well-known whistleblower Julie O'Connor confirms once again that Trafigura is under scrutiny by regulators in...
Jan 62 min read


Unmasking Corporate Corruption at Trafigura: A Tale of Blurred Values and Deceptive Practices
The recent landmark bribery trial involving Trafigura 's former COO, Mike Wainwright, sheds a disturbing light on the inner workings of...
Dec 10, 20241 min read


Trafigura’s Bribery Case Puts Commodity Trading Culture on Trial in Switzerland
A landmark trial is set to shake the global commodity trading industry as Trafigura Group and its former chief operating officer face...
Dec 2, 20242 min read


Trafigura Reshuffles Top Team as Metals Losses Rattle Trader
"Trafigura has been exploring a range of potential deals involving the metals business as it weighs the future of the unit, Bloomberg...
Sep 18, 20242 min read


When Loyalty Clashes with Duty: Legal Battle Brews at Nyrstar
It appears that, as part of the restructuring of Nyrstar, the listed residual company Nyrstar NV was transformed into a shell company...
Aug 31, 20242 min read


Nyrstar owner Trafigura admits founder approved bribes
While Trafigura , the (former) directors of Nyrstar NV and their respective armies of advisors in Belgium remain deafeningly silent...
Apr 4, 20241 min read


Trafigura to Pay $126 Million and Plead Guilty to Brazil Bribes
"Trafigura Group will pay $126 million and plead guilty to US charges related to bribery in Brazil, in the latest case involving...
Mar 27, 20241 min read


Auditor Deloitte hedges its bets on conviction in Nyrstar case
Following a period of over four years during which we have been urging the former and current commissioners of Nyrstar to take...
Feb 13, 20242 min read
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