The last twenty years have been a favorable period for the global economy. Asian economies grew rapidly, which boosted the demand for key commodities such as gold, copper and iron ore, and increased mining employment worldwide. This growth has been largely driven by the process of globalization and the rising welfare of population in the emerging markets such as China and India. The world is now entering a more dangerous phase of its development, as political and economic tensions between China and the United States are increasing and threaten to ify the results of the economic progress. A rollback to protectionism and de-globalization may occur. Asia has been the engine of the mining industry, and commodity prices have helped to determine the prospects of the mining cycle. A number of commodities, including copper, have rebounded from their lows in recent months. This suggests that a new phase of economic recovery is starting to gain momentum, opening a new phase in the expansion of the global mining sector.