According to Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), a leading Chinese metals industry data provider, China produced 551,500 metric tonnes of refined zinc in May 2025, marking a 2% increase compared to May 2024 but a 1% decline from April 2025. The cumulative output for the first five months reached approximately 2.658 million tonnes, representing a modest...
READ MOREChina’s exports of unwrought aluminum and assorted aluminum products have faced downward pressure in 2025, with total exports for the first quarter falling by more than 7% to 1.37 million tons. This structural decline persists despite short-term rebounds driven by favorable price arbitrage, as deep-seated international trade barriers and powerful domestic consumption continue to reshape...
READ MORENornickel, Russia’s largest metals company and the world’s leading producer of refined nickel and palladium, and Ecofes, a Russian water purification equipment manufacturer, have completed industrial testing of palladium-enhanced electrodes that reduce power consumption by 18.6% in sodium hypochlorite production for water treatment facilities. The first commercial installation of 560 palladium anodes is now operational...
READ MORESolus Advanced Materials, a South Korean copper foil manufacturer operating Europe’s only battery-grade copper foil production facility, and CATL, China’s largest battery manufacturer with 40% global market share, have entered a supply agreement for copper foil deliveries to CATL’s European battery manufacturing operations. The partnership will see Solus supplying copper foil produced at its Hungarian...
READ MOREKAZ Minerals reported a decrease in copper production in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. The Kazakhstan-based producer attributed the decline primarily to lower ore grades across its operations, though output remained slightly above the level produced in the previous quarter. The company experienced reduced by-product volumes due to...
READ MOREThe global refined copper market recorded a surplus of 289,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2025, a slight increase from 287,000 tonnes in the same period last year, according to the International Copper Study Group. Refined copper production worldwide rose by just over 3% year-on-year to 7.1 million tonnes between January and March, while...
READ MORENigeria is set to commission two large lithium processing plants this year, marking a major step away from exporting raw minerals and toward building value within the country. Mining Minister Dele Alake announced that a $600 million lithium processing facility near the Kaduna-Niger border will be commissioned this quarter, while a $200 million refinery near...
READ MORENorsk Hydro has confirmed it will close its Birtley aluminium extrusion plant in the UK at the end of May 2025, citing ongoing challenging market conditions. The 12,000 metric-ton-per-year facility had been scheduled to operate until the end of May, with closure expected by the end of June. The company has completed consultations with employees...
READ MOREEmirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced plans to construct a new primary aluminium production facility near Tulsa, Oklahoma, marking the first such plant to be built in the United States since 1980. The $4 billion project is expected to nearly double U.S. aluminium output, adding 600,000 tonnes of annual production capacity at a time when...
READ MOREAluminium Dunkerque has commissioned a new melting furnace dedicated to aluminium recycling at its French facility. Known as Furnace 8, the installation will enable the company to recycle 7,000 tonnes of aluminium waste annually and produce an additional 20,000 tonnes of low-carbon aluminium each year. This development is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions per tonne...
READ MOREHammerer Aluminium Industries (HAI) has inaugurated a new extrusion production hall in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do province, South Korea. The 13,800 square meter facility, constructed with an investment of approximately $49.8 million (converted from €46 million), features a fully automated extrusion line with a pressing force of 60 meganewtons and comprehensive upstream and downstream systems. The facility,...
READ MOREGlobal platinum production overview Platinum is a vital precious metal with applications in automotive catalysts, industrial processes, and jewelry. In recent years, its role in green hydrogen technologies and fuel cells has expanded its strategic value. Global platinum production reached approximately 236 metric tons in 2024, with South Africa accounting for over 70% of the...
READ MOREGlobal copper production overview The global copper industry continues to expand, driven by accelerating demand from energy transition technologies, electric vehicles, and infrastructure projects. In 2024, global copper production reached approximately 22.8 million metric tons, with significant contributions from Chile, Peru, China, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Chile remains the leading producer, accounting for...
READ MOREGlencore increased its zinc metal production by 8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, reaching 227,700 tonnes. The Anglo-Swiss commodities group attributed the rise to the restart of its Nordenham smelter in Germany, which had been offline since late 2022, and solid output from its Spanish subsidiary, Asturiana de Zinc. The company, led by...
READ MOREIndonesia plans to more than double its cobalt production capacity to 114,630 metric tonnes per year by 2027, up from 55,630 tonnes in 2024, according to Septian Hario Seto, executive secretary of the country’s National Economic Council. Speaking at the Cobalt Congress 2025 in Singapore, Seto said the country has no intention of controlling global...
READ MOREChina imported nearly 3 million tonnes of copper ore and concentrate in April, setting a monthly record as smelters in the country struggle with tight feedstock supply and collapsing treatment charges. The surge in imports is expected to alleviate some pressure in the domestic market, where a growing number of smelters have been operating with...
READ MOREWestwin Elements is moving ahead with plans to build the first nickel refinery in the United States, aiming to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign sources of the metal. The refinery, to be located in Lawton, Oklahoma, is expected to scale up to 64,000 metric tons of annual capacity. In January, the project received a...
READ MORERefined nickel production in China reached 36,250 tonnes in April, up 6% from March and 47% higher year-on-year, according to data from Shanghai Metals Market (SMM). Over the first four months of 2025, total output rose to 131,000 tonnes, marking a 31.7% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The rise in refined nickel...
READ MORERio Tinto, in partnership with Indium Corporation, has successfully extracted its first primary gallium as part of a research and development project aimed at establishing a North American supply of this critical mineral. The gallium was sourced from bauxite processed at Rio Tinto’s Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Saguenay, Quebec—the only alumina refinery in Canada. The...
READ MOREIGO Ltd has reduced its fiscal 2025 capital expenditure forecast for the Greenbushes lithium mine in Western Australia, now expecting to spend A$700 million to A$800 million (USD $447–$511 million), down from its previous estimate of A$850 million to A$950 million (USD $543–$607 million). The company attributed the cut to a review and optimization of...
READ MOREZambia’s copper sector posted a robust start to 2025, with production rising about 30% year-on-year in the first quarter, according to Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe. Output reached approximately 224,000 metric tons between January and March, up from around 173,000 metric tons during the same period in 2024. The increase was largely attributed to higher production...
READ MOREGlencore reported a sharp decline in copper production for the first quarter of 2025, with output falling 30% year-on-year to 167,900 metric tons. The company attributed the drop to lower ore mining rates, head grades, and recoveries at key operations in Chile, Peru, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite the weak start, Glencore expects...
READ MOREFreeport reported a net income of $352 million for the first quarter of 2025, with adjusted net income reaching $358 million. Copper production totaled 868 million pounds, gold production 287 thousand ounces, and molybdenum production 23 million pounds. Copper sales volumes surpassed January 2025 guidance, while gold sales were lower due to shipment timing. The...
READ MOREVSMPO-Avisma, based in Verkhnyaya Salda, Russia, reported a 32% decrease in net profit under IFRS for 2024, totaling more than 16.85 billion rubles (about $182 million USD). This marks a notable decline from the 24.85 billion rubles (about $269 million USD) recorded in 2023. The company’s revenue also fell by 2.4% to 118.55 billion rubles...
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