The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that on Thursday, Greenland granted a 30-year permit for a European Union-supported project aimed at mining molybdenum. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that Greenland has seen rising activity in its mining sector over the past month, after President Donald Trump expressed an interest in purchasing it earlier this year. The permit was granted to Toronto-based Greenland Resources, a company backed by the European Raw Material Alliance, and holds the licence to the Malmbjerg project in eastern Greenland, the country's government said in a statement. The open pit Malmbjerg mine can produce an average 32.8 million pounds of concentrated molybdenum a year, potentially supplying about 25 per cent of Europe's molybdenum use. China imposed export controls in early February on five metals, including molybdenum-related products. China accounted for about 40 per cent of global molybdenum production last year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Molybdenum is considered a critical mineral by both the European Union and the United States. Although rich in natural resources, development of Greenland's mining industry has been slow owing to bureaucracy and lack of financing.