China’s lithium carbonate production reached 64,100 tonnes in February, marking a 0.8% increase from the previous month, according to Mysteel’s updated survey, which covers 68 companies and 83 production bases. The slight monthly increase was driven by ramped-up output from new production capacities and steady operations at major refineries optimizing costs. Additionally, refineries processing outsourced...
READ MOREShanghai copper prices outperformed other base metals on Wednesday, driven by expectations of increasing demand from China’s power and construction sectors. The most-active copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) closed 2.08% higher at 79,410 yuan ($10,962) per metric ton, reaching an intraday high of 79,470 yuan—its highest level since September 30. According to...
READ MOREChina’s electrolytic cobalt production reached 5,370 tonnes in February, reflecting a 5.85% month-on-month increase and a substantial 120.99% surge compared to the previous year. The rise was driven by major cobalt manufacturers resuming normal operations after the Chinese New Year holiday to fulfill long-term orders. However, raw material price fluctuations, influenced by export control policies...
READ MOREChina’s copper production is expected to reach another record in 2025, even as smelters face increasing financial strain. The sector has continued expanding despite a sharp decline in processing fees, prompting government scrutiny and plans to curb new capacity. However, existing projects will proceed as planned, driving further output growth in the coming years. A...
READ MOREAround 20 aluminum-related projects were launched or commenced operations across China in February, according to Mysteel. These developments include four projects dedicated to aluminum alloy products, while the remaining 16 focus on alumina, secondary aluminum, aluminum-based new materials, and semi-finished aluminum products. The largest project by both capacity and investment is a fine alumina production...
READ MOREChina’s aluminum industry remains the largest globally, supported by high production capacity and growing downstream demand. However, market dynamics are shifting due to increasing inventories, fluctuating raw material costs, and cautious buyer sentiment. Despite these challenges, facility expansions and policy adjustments continue to shape the long-term outlook of the sector. Over the past week, the...
READ MOREChina’s production of battery-grade lithium carbonate reached 670,000 metric tons in 2024, marking a 45% increase from the previous year, according to data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Thursday. The lithium market continues to face turbulence, with the most traded lithium carbonate contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange closing...
READ MOREChina’s copper cathode rod production fell to 716,000 metric tons (mt) in January 2025, marking a month-on-month (MoM) decline of 181,700 mt, according to data from SMM. The national operating rate dropped to 51.99%, down 16.38 percentage points MoM and 11.9 percentage points year-on-year (YoY). In East China, copper rod production totaled 478,900 mt with...
READ MOREThe cobalt market has entered an unprecedented downturn, with prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) plummeting from a peak of $82,000 per metric ton in April 2022 to $21,550, the lowest since the contract’s inception in 2010. The current oversupply, largely driven by China’s CMOC Group, contrasts with previous downturns, such as the 2018-2019...
READ MOREChina’s lithium hydroxide production fell to 16,300 tonnes in January, marking an 18.3% month-on-month decline. This decrease was attributed to persistently low operating rates at lithium hydroxide refining plants, with some manufacturers reducing output in response to lower order volumes. Additionally, a major plant in Sichuan underwent full-line maintenance in January, further tightening supply. Production...
READ MOREChina announced new export restrictions on five critical metals on Tuesday, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods. The restrictions apply to tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium, molybdenum, and related products, which are essential in defense, clean energy, and various industrial sectors. The Chinese Commerce Ministry stated that the...
READ MOREChina’s lithium carbonate production is expected to fall by approximately 17% in January to 59,800 tonnes, according to a survey conducted by Mysteel in early January. The decline is primarily attributed to domestic lithium converters and hydrometallurgical plants temporarily suspending production for maintenance and overhauls during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday. Mysteel’s latest survey...
READ MORETianqi Lithium, one of the largest global producers of lithium-ion battery materials, reported a worse-than-expected loss for 2024, driven by falling lithium prices, asset impairments, and foreign exchange losses. The Chengdu-based company disclosed in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange that it expects a net loss of 7.1 billion yuan ($978.3 million) to...
READ MOREChina’s aluminium production rose by 4.2% year-on-year to 3.77 million metric tons in December, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday. However, daily output in December averaged 121,612 tons, marking a 1.7% decline from November’s daily average of 123,667 tons, based on Reuters’ calculations. The increase in monthly production was...
READ MOREChina is evaluating new export restrictions on technologies essential to lithium-ion battery production, a move that could have significant implications for the global electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy industries. According to a report from Caixin, the Ministry of Commerce has proposed adding battery cathode production technologies, as well as methods for extracting and processing...
READ MOREChina Gold International Resources Corp. Ltd. has released its 2025 production guidance and confirmed that operations at the Jiama Copper-Gold Polymetallic Mine remain unaffected following the January 7 earthquake in Tibet Autonomous Region. The company forecasts copper production at the Jiama Mine to range between 139 million pounds (63,000 tonnes) and 148 million pounds (67,000...
READ MOREChina’s exports of refined copper wire with a maximum cross-sectional dimension exceeding 6mm reached 6,303.98 metric tonnes (mt) in November 2024, marking a 26% month-on-month (MoM) increase and a 68.3% year-on-year (YoY) rise. Cumulatively, from January to November 2024, exports totaled 57,600 mt under HS code 74081100. The rebound in copper wire rod exports during...
READ MOREChina has imposed a ban on exporting gallium and germanium to the United States, escalating trade tensions between the two nations. These minerals are critical for industries ranging from renewable energy to military technology and electronics, and the ban could have far-reaching implications. Gallium and germanium are essential components in technologies such as computer chips,...
READ MOREAccording to data from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, primary aluminium imports into China fell by 13.8% in November 2024 compared to October. However, on an annual basis, imports rose by 22.5%. The Shanghai Stock Exchange (SMM) reported that China imported 150.7 thousand tonnes of primary aluminium in November,...
READ MOREChina’s tin ore imports totaled 12,000 tonnes in November 2024, equivalent to approximately 5,021 tonnes of tin in metal terms. This marked a 19.18% month-on-month decline and a 56.46% drop compared to the same period last year. In terms of metal content, November imports decreased by 23 tonnes from October. From January to November, total...
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