Trump supports Biden-era AUKUS deal

Albanese and Trump also discussed the AUKUS submarine deal, a multibillion-dollar agreement between Australia, the UK and the US, which is geared at boosting security in the Indo-Pacific region.

When asked whether AUKUS is meant to be a “deterrent” for China, Trump answered yes. However, he also said he doesn’t think that will be needed as the US military is the best in the world.

‘We’re going to get along great with China,’ he said.

AUKUS is worth around US$239 billion, or AU$368 billion, over 30 years.

Starting in 2032, Australia plans to buy three Virginia-class submarines from the US, with the option to get two more. These will fill the gap while the UK and Australia develop a new submarine model. Trump also said the US is working on building more submarines for Australia and is going to expedite submarine exports to the country.

Australia is expected to receive the first of the new submarines in the early 2040s.

Twists and turns in the EV race

The third quarter marked a pivotal period for the EV market.

Cox Automotive forecast in September that EV sales would hit a record of 409,000 units in Q3, in line with previous estimates that predicted a surge as buyers rushed in before the end of the US federal EV tax credit.

Automakers Ford Motor (NASDAQ:F), General Motors (NYSE:GM) and Hyundai Motor (KRX:005380,OTC Pink:HYMTF), all of which have extended EV discounts to after the expiration of the tax credit, reported record EV sales in Q3, with Ford’s EV sales rising over 30 percent, and GM’s EV sales more than doubling thanks to a diverse product lineup under the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands. Hyundai showed a 13 percent year-on-year increase, driven by EV sales.

In September, Ford announced a multibillion-dollar investment in American EV manufacturing facilities to pioneer a novel, efficient assembly process, aiming for a 2027 launch of a competitively priced midsize electric pickup.

Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) third quarter deliveries also hit a record, with estimates showing about 149,500 units, slightly higher compared to the 143,535 units reported in the second quarter. However, Cox Automotive’s numbers show that the company’s US market share has been steadily decreasing, slipping to 38 percent in August.

CEO Elon Musk said that the company will devote more of its resources to developing AI-driven autonomy going forward. Its robotaxi program officially launched this quarter, with initial testing beginning on July 1. The company reportedly experienced three crashes on its first day, underscoring ongoing technical hurdles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has since launched another investigation into Tesla vehicles’ full self-driving technology, its second this year, after regulators received more than 50 reports of traffic violations and crashes.

Tesla also revealed its long-awaited more affordable EV models at the start of the fourth quarter. They were met with with cautious optimism by market participants. Investors will be carefully watching how these new models fare against intense price competition from domestic and foreign EV manufacturers.

Meanwhile, Tesla’s position in China continues to face pressure, with domestic manufacturer BYD Company (OTC Pink:BYDDF) surging ahead with a substantial lead. BYD delivered 582,500 pure EVs in the third quarter, nearly doubling Tesla’s China sales, which rebounded thanks to sales of the new Model Y L.

Advances in autonomous vehicle partnerships also progressed during the the third quarter, with Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) and Waymo collaborating on robotaxi services announced for launch next year in Nashville.

Waymo has moved to expand its user base by launching a new enterprise product, Waymo for Business, offering subsidized employee or event rides in its robotaxis in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Facing rising competition, Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) said it plans to integrate autonomous vehicles alongside human drivers, partnering with Nuro and Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) in a three part deal, with Uber purchasing 20,000 Lucid electric robotaxis over six years alongside licensing fees for Nuro’s self-driving technology.

Under the terms of the agreement, Uber will acquire minority stakes in both companies. The first robotaxis are expected to launch in a major US city next year.

Cleantech forecast for 2025

Q4 will be pivotal as the cleantech sector adjusts to the withdrawal of key federal incentives in the US, such as the rooftop solar tax credit, set to expire on December 31, and grapples with regulatory uncertainties.

Offshore wind projects face legal and administrative hurdles that may reshape regional renewable energy development.

Meanwhile, emerging areas of the cleantech market — such as advanced nuclear and climate fintech — offer promising growth paths, but require coordinated policy and investment frameworks. Reflecting this challenge, 11 states are collaborating to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear energy within their borders, seeking to create a strong and credible demand signal by coordinating commitments and dividing financial risks.

In autonomous vehicle innovation, Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) self-driving car subsidiary Zoox is seeking broader regulatory approval to operate up to 2,500 cars without traditional human controls.

If approved, Zoox would be able to conduct a first-of-its-kind paid commercial robotaxi service.

The US Department of Transportation plans to propose rules in spring 2026 to modernize vehicle safety standards for automated driving systems, including relaxing requirements tied to manual controls.

Forward-looking industry voices suggest cautious optimism, emphasizing the critical role of innovation, policy clarity and market adaptation in sustaining cleantech momentum into 2026.

1. Santacruz Silver (TSXV:SCZ)

Year-to-date gain: 765.45 percent
Market cap: C$866.79 million
Share price: C$2.38

Santacruz Silver is an Americas-focused silver producer with operations in Bolivia and Mexico. Its producing assets include a 45 percent stake in the Bolivar and Porco mines, which it shares with the Bolivian government, and a 100 percent ownership of the Caballo Blanco Group mines in Bolivia, along with the Zimapan mine in Mexico.

In its Q2 2025 results, Santacruz reported silver production of 1.42 million ounces from the mines, as well as silver equivalent production of 3.55 million ounces, which includes its zinc, lead and copper production.

In addition to its producing assets, Santacruz also owns the greenfield Soracaya project, an 8,325 hectare land package located in Potosi, Bolivia. According to an August 2024 technical report, the site hosts an inferred resource of 34.5 million ounces of silver derived from 4.14 million metric tons of ore with an average grade of 260 g/t.

In October 2021, Santacruz acquired Glencore’s (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) 45 percent stake in the Bolivar and Porco mines and a 100 percent interest in the Soracaya project. Under the terms of the deal, Santacruz made an initial payment of US$20 million and was obligated to make an additional US$90 million over a four-year period from the closing of the transaction. Glencore also retained a 1.5 percent net smelter return.

The pair amended the deal in October 2024, giving Santacruz the option to either pay off the US$80 million base purchase price through annual US$10 million installments or to accelerate the repayment by paying US$40 million by November 2025. The deal also includes additional terms such as monthly payments to Glencore contingent on zinc pricing benchmarks.

Santacruz chose the accelerated option through a structured payment plan, allowing it to satisfy the base purchase price of the properties while saving US$40 million compared to the annual installment option. On September 4, the company announced that it had made its fourth and fifth payments, completing all payments to Glencore.

The most recent news for the Soracaya project was announced on October 7, when Santacruz stated that it was initiating development activities and would be applying for a full production permit.

Shares in Santacruz reached a year-to-date high of C$2.79 on September 29.

2. Andean Precious Metals (TSX:APM)

Year-to-date gain: 563.48 percent
Market cap: C$1.14 billion
Share price: C$7.63

Andean Precious Metals is a precious metals company with a pair of operating assets in the Americas.

Its primary silver-producing operation is the San Bartolomé facility in the Potosi Department of Bolivia. The onsite processing facility has an annual ore capacity of 1.8 million metric tons. The company has transitioned from conventional mining and is processing feed from both its low-cost fines deposit facility and third-party ore purchases.

Its other producing asset is the Golden Queen mine in Kern County, California, US. It hosts a 12,000 metric tons per day cyanide heap leach and a Merrill-Crowe processing facility. A mineral reserve statement showed a measured and indicated silver resource of 11.24 million ounces from 41.81 million metric tons at an average grade of 8.37 g/t silver. The company acquired Golden Queen from Auvergne Umbrella in November 2023 for total consideration of US$15 million.

On June 2, Andean announced it entered into an exclusive, long-term agreement with the Bolivian state-owned mining company Corporacion Minera de Bolivia to acquire up to 7 million metric tons of oxide ore from mining concessions in Bolivia.

The ore is located within a 250 kilometer radius of the processing facility at its San Bartolomé operation, where it will process the ore. Under the terms of the 10 year agreement, Andean will immediately receive an initial 250,000 metric tons of ore, with the remaining to be delivered in tranches of 50,000 metric tons.

On July 17, Andean released its Q2 operating results. During the first half of the year, it produced 2.04 million ounces of silver across its operations, toward the upper end of its guidance of 1.84 million to 2.16 million ounces. It also noted that it anticipates further ramp-up at both its mines in the second half of the year.

In its Q2 financial results released on August 12, the company reported an increase in net income for the first half of the year to US$32.02 million, compared to US$9.31 million during the first half of 2024.

Shares in Andean Precious Metals reached a year-to-date high of C$8.83 on October 1.

3. Avino Silver & Gold Mines (TSX:ASM)

Year-to-date gain: 455.12 percent
Market cap: C$1.06 billion
Share price: C$7.05

Avino Silver & Gold Mines is a precious metals miner with two primary silver assets: the producing Avino silver mine and the neighboring La Preciosa project in Durango, Mexico.

The Avino mine is capable of processing 2,500 metric tons of ore per day, and according to its FY24 report released on January 21 the mine produced 1.1 million ounces of silver, 7,477 ounces of gold and 6.2 million pounds of copper last year. Overall, the company saw broad production increases with silver rising 19 percent, gold rising 2 percent and copper increasing 17 percent year over year.

In addition to its Avino mining operation, Avino is working to advance its La Preciosa project toward the production stage. The site covers 1,134 hectares, and according to a February 2023 resource estimate, hosts a measured and indicated resource of 98.59 million ounces of silver and 189,190 ounces of gold.

In a January 15 update, Avino announced it had received all necessary permits for mining at La Preciosa and begun underground development at La Preciosa. It is now developing a 350 meter mine access and haulage decline. The company said the first phase at the site is expected to cost less than C$5 million, which will be funded from cash reserves.

In Avino’s Q2 financial report released on August 13, the company noted that work was progressing at the site according to plan, with blasting and construction of the San Fernando main access decline underway. It added that a new jumbo drill was working on the ramp towards intercepting the Gloria and Abundancia veins.

On the production and finance side, the company reported improved cost-per-ounce metrics, with cash costs per silver equivalent payable ounce decreasing 7 percent to US$15.11 and all-in-sustaining costs decreasing 8 percent to US$20.93. It also reported a 50 percent year-over-year increase in revenue during the quarter to US$40.64 million, from US$27.18 million during the same period in 2024.

Avino indicated silver production of 549,300 ounces in the first half of 2025, an increase of 1 percent over H1 2024, and 283,619 silver ounces in Q2 alone, a decrease of 3 percent over Q2 2024.

Avino shares reached a year-to-date high of C$7.60 on October 3.

4. Capitan Silver (TSXV:CAPT)

Year-to-date gain: 404.76 percent
Market cap: C$181.29 million
Share price: C$1.59

Capitan Silver is an explorer focused on advancing silver and gold projects in Durango, Mexico. The company’s flagship asset is the 100 percent owned Cruz de Plata project in the heart of Mexico’s historic Peñoles Mining District. The region is known for hosting significant silver mineralization and historic mining.

The Cruz de Plata project encompasses two historic silver mines — Jesús Maria and San Rafael — and the El Capitan oxide gold deposit.

According to a 2020 technical report, the Jesús Maria deposit hosts an inferred resource of 15.16 million ounces of contained silver and 26,000 ounces of gold from 7.57 million metric tons of ore with average grades of 62.3 g/t silver and 0.12 g/t gold.

El Capitan hosts an inferred resource of 1.83 million ounces of silver and 305,000 ounces of gold from 20.72 million metric tons of ore grading 2.8 g/t and 0.46 g/t respectively.

Capitan Silver has made a series of strategic acquisitions during the second and third quarters.

On June 11, the company completed the purchase of a 2 percent net smelter royalty in place at Cruz de Plata from Exploraciones del Altiplano and eliminated the royalty. Total costs incurred by Capitan were US$1 million.

Then, on August 22, the company executed a definitive agreement to acquire a strategic land package surrounding its Cruz de Plata property from Fresnillo (LSE:FRES,OTC Pink:FNLPF) for total cash consideration of US$4 million. The transaction was initially announced in June.

The new parcel consists of seven mineral concessions covering 2,171.4 hectares. It increases Capitan’s total holdings in the area by 85 percent and the surface expression of the silver-gold trend by 1.2 kilometers to the east.

Capitan’s most recent news from Cruz de Plata came on October 1, when the company reported it identified six priority targets and is advancing them a drill-ready stage. It also increased the total length of known veins containing silver mineralization from 7 kilometers to 20 kilometers.

As for the exploration program at the site, the company expanded its Phase 1 drill program by 50 percent to 15,000 meters, and is expecting a property-wide geophysical survey to be completed during the first quarter of 2026.

Shares in Capitan reached a year-to-date high of C$1.85 on September 22.

5. Americas Gold and Silver (TSX:USA)

Year-to-date gain: 312.14 percent
Market cap: C$1.59 billion
Share price: C$5.77

Americas Gold and Silver is a US and Mexico-focused precious metals producer. The company is one of the US’ largest primary silver miners.

Its primary operations consist of the Galena Complex in Idaho, US, and the Cosala Operations in Sinaloa, Mexico.

The Galena complex operates in the Silver Valley, a historic mining district that is home to Bunker Hill, Sunshine and Lucky Friday mines.

Americas Gold and Silver is currently working on a two phase plan to increase efficiency at the mine’s No. 3 shaft. On September 16, the company announced it completed the first phase, upgrading the hoisting capacity from 40 tons to 80 tons per hour of material movement.

It also said that Phase 2 upgrades are scheduled to begin before the end of 2025, including upgrades to the hoist pads, the installation of a hoist control console and the deployment of an antenna system in the shaft that will support upgrades to automation.

The Cosala operations in Sinaloa comprise 67 mining concessions spanning 19,385 hectares and include the Los Braceros processing facility, the San Rafael mine, and the EC120 development project.

The company is currently transitioning its operations away from San Rafael to the EC120 orebody, aiming to bring EC120 into production by the end of 2025. While San Rafael contains higher levels of zinc and lead, EC120 hosts higher grades of silver and copper.

In its second quarter results released on August 11, Americas Gold and Silver reported a 36 percent year-over-year increase in consolidated silver production during the quarter to 689,000 ounces, with zinc and lead by-products bringing its production to 839,000 silver equivalent ounces.

Despite the increase in production, the company noted a 19 percent decrease in revenue at US$27 million versus US$33.2 million during Q2 2024. It attributed the revenue decline to lower production and byproduct revenue from zinc and lead sales as it transitioned away from San Rafael.

Shares in Americas reached a year-to-date high of C$6.02 on October 8.

Washington pushes back against Beijing

Top US officials have accused Beijing of attempting to weaponize its dominance in the global rare earths supply chain, which accounts for about 70 percent of global production and more than 90 percent of processing capacity.

At a press briefing on Wednesday (October 15), US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer called China’s new measures a “global supply chain power grab” and warned that Washington and its allies “would not accept the restrictions.”

However, he also said China has not yet implemented the full regulatory system and suggested there is still room to de-escalate. “These are drafted, or in draft, so it’s quite real,” Greer said.

“But our expectation is that they won’t implement this, and that we’ll be able to be back to where we were a week ago, where we had the tariff levels we’ve agreed to and the flow of rare earths that we agreed to.”

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent echoed the sentiment, telling CNBC that the Trump administration does not want to further inflame tensions, but will act decisively if Beijing moves forward with its restrictions.

“When we get an announcement like this week with China on the rare earths, you realize we have to be self-sufficient, or we have to be sufficient with our allies,” Bessent said.

He also accused China of using its dominance in rare earths refining and processing to slash prices and drive foreign competitors out of the market. Trump has threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods starting on November 1 — or sooner — if Beijing moves ahead with the export controls.

Despite the mounting friction, both sides remain committed to a scheduled meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea later this month, highlighting the indispensable nature of rare earths to modern industry.

They are used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones and, crucially, in US military systems such as F-35 fighter jets, Tomahawk missiles and Predator drones. Each F-35 is estimated to require more than 400 kilograms of rare earths for its stealth coatings, motors and radar systems.

US eyes new critical minerals sources

In response to China’s dominance, Washington has ramped up efforts to secure alternative sources of critical minerals.

The Department of Defense earlier this year struck a deal with MP Materials (NYSE:MP), the largest US rare earths producer. It includes an equity stake, a price floor and an offtake deal to guarantee supply for defense applications.

Separately, the Trump administration is reportedly exploring a potential investment in Critical Metals (NASDAQ:CRML), a US-listed firm developing Greenland’s vast Tanbreez rare earths deposit.

Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$106,495, a 1.7 percent decrease in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$104,747, and its highest was US$107,411.

Bitcoin price performance, October 17, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

The Bitcoin price remains under pressure. While sizable short liquidations of both Bitcoin and Ether have provided pockets of buying relief, overall market confidence is tempered. Volatility persists, leaving the market poised for further directional cues from key upcoming earnings and economic data releases.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$3,830.31, a 1.2 percent decrease in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$3,726.31, and its highest was US$3,845.65.

Altcoin price update

• Solana (SOL) was priced at US$181.98, a decrease of 2.1 percent over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$177.43, and its highest was US$184.74.

• XRP was trading for US$2.30, a decrease of 1.4 percent over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$2.25 and its highest was US$2.31.

Crypto derivatives and market indicators

Bitcoin derivatives metrics indicate a complex market environment with mixed signals.

While short-term buying pressure has occurred, underlying market sentiment remains bearish or neutral, with cautious trading behavior and no strong bullish conviction at this time.

Bitcoin liquidations have totaled approximately US$22.09 million in the last four hours, with short positions making up the majority, signaling a short squeeze or bullish pressure. Ether liquidations show a similar pattern, totaling US$20.86 million, the majority of which were short positions.

Futures open interest for Bitcoin has decreased by 1.56 percent to around US$70 billion, showing strong bearish sentiment. Ether futures open interest was unchanged at around US$44 billion, reflecting market neutrality.

The perpetual funding rate for Bitcoin was -0.009, and for Ether it was -0.015, indicating bearish market sentiment.

Bitcoin’s relative strength index stands at 34.05, indicating that the cryptocurrency is in a bearish/bullish/neutral momentum, phase but not yet deeply oversold.

Fear and Greed Index snapshot

CMC’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index has fallen far into fear territory, dipping to 28 on Friday from an earlier score of 32.

CMC Crypto Fear and Greed Index, Bitcoin price and Bitcoin volume.

Chart via CoinMarketCap.

Today’s crypto news to know

Japanese banks launch yen-backed stablecoin

A group of Japan’s largest banks, including MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Mizuho Bank, are reportedly collaborating to launch a yen-backed stablecoin using MUFG’s Progmat platform.

The initiative aims to create an interoperable payment token for over 300,000 corporate clients. MUFG will be the first user for internal settlements. The stablecoin is expected to roll out by year end, potentially establishing Japan’s first unified bank-backed stablecoin network and accelerating crypto adoption in the region’s financial infrastructure.

Uniswap expands to Solana blockchain

Uniswap has expanded its web app to support the Solana blockchain, enabling users to trade Solana-based tokens, the platform announced in a blog post on Wednesday (October 15). This move broadens Uniswap’s reach beyond Ether, lowering transaction costs and speed for DeFi traders using Solana’s high-performance network.

Ripple adds US$1 billion to XRP treasury

Ripple will reportedly add a US$1 billion purchase of its native XRP cryptocurrency to its digital asset treasury.

Sources for Bloomberg said the treasury funds, which will be raised through a special purpose acquisition company, will be used to support Ripple’s ecosystem development, liquidity provision and strategic partnerships, reinforcing Ripple’s commitment to growing XRP’s adoption in global payments.