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Avery Goodman: Why silver may hit $140/oz. sooner than you think
By Avery B. Goodman
Talk Markets, Teaneck, New Jersey
Friday, January 2, 2026
China's announcement of silver export restrictions effective January 1 represents the biggest intervention in precious metals markets since 2010-2012.
The licensing framework was announced via Ministry of Commerce Announcement No. 68 on October 30, 2025. It requires exporters to meet minimum standards of 80 tonnes of annual production capacity and $30 million in credit lines. This is very different and much more restrictive than the previous quota system, which emphasized state-trading authorization.
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Blue Lagoon Sells to Ocean Partners Nearly C$1 Million
of Gold and Silver from Dome Mountain's Initial Production
Company Announcement
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada -- Blue Lagoon Resources Inc. (CSE: BLLG; OTCQB: BLAGF; FSE: 7BL) has made its first sale of gold and silver to Ocean Partners UK Ltd. from the Dome Mountain mineralized material that was delivered this month to the company's milling partner, Nicola Mining Inc., for processing.
The company expects to receive C$970,000 in connection with this delivery, representing its first sale related to production from Dome Mountain.
The payment represents an advance on the first shipment of approximately 1,000 tonnes of mineralized material delivered to Nicola, as processing has not yet occurred due to scheduled mill maintenance. ...
... For the remainder of the announcement:
https://bluelagoonresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Blue-Lagoon-Resources_Dec-30.pdf
The geopolitical significance is huge. Similar to the situation with rare-earth metals, China refines 60-70% of the world's silver despite mining only 13% of global output. That means that Beijing has an incredible amount of leverage over global supply chains.
Only China has the massive refining infrastructure to serve as the world's processing hub for silver concentrates shipped from mining jurisdictions all over the world -- from Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and elsewhere.
The new policy concerning silver mirrors China's prior rare earth strategy. Back in 2010-11 export quota reductions of 40% in 2010-2012 drove rare earth prices up 1,000%. If the silver rules do the same with silver, $140 per ounce might end up considered less a pipe dream than, simply, a "very reasonable" price that people wished they had purchased at. ...
... For the remainder of the analysis:
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