SYDNEY - Australia has barred the takeover of financially stricken lithium miner Alita Resources by a China-linked company after advice from its Foreign Investment Review Board , a spokesperson for TreasurerAustralia supplies around half of the world's lithium as well as other minerals including rare earths used in batteries for electric cars and defence. It is seeking to boost trade with the US and its allies amid a global push to diversify supply chains away from dominant producer China.
Alita has been under administration since 2019. Austroid said in a statement it was "shocked and disappointed" by the decision to block the takeover deal which would convert debt to equity, and said it was yet to fully understand the implications for the operation of the Bald Hill lithium mine, which exports to China.
Chalmer's office declined to say whether the acquisition had been blocked on national interest grounds., filings show. He is the son of China's Que Wenbin who has a major interest in Chinese lithium battery maker Sichuan Western Resource.