Latest Update in the SMM Cathode Material Market

On June 10, 2025, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of the People's Republic of China officially announced the "Regulations on the Import of Recycled Black Mass Raw Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries and Recycled Steel." This document assigns the customs Harmonized System (HS) code 3824999996 to recycled black mass raw materials for lithium-ion batteries. The regulations will take effect on August 1, 2025.

[SMM Analysis: The Uncommon Yet Not Ordinary Prussian White: How Can Low-Cost Materials Sustain Competitiveness?] SMM News on June 18: Driven by the goal of carbon neutrality, sodium-ion batteries have emerged in the fields of energy storage systems (ESS) and start-stop applications due to their advantages of abundant resources and low cost. The Prussian route, as one of the three major cathode routes for sodium-ion batteries, is gradually gaining attention. Prussian materials are currently divided into two types: Prussian blue and Prussian white. The main reason for the color difference between the two cathodes lies in crystalline water. Prussian white requires further dehydration based on Prussian blue, so precise control of crystalline water is necessary for Prussian white...

The SMM Lithium Battery Raw Materials Conference 2025 will be held in Xiamen on October 20-21, 2025, focusing on the critical challenges and opportunities in the supply chain of key battery raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium amid the global energy transition. The conference aims to analyze international policy shifts, supply-demand dynamics, and pricing mechanisms from multiple perspectives, fostering a more stable, transparent, and efficient industry chain. Key Topics Include: 1.Global Market Trends: Examining the impact of geopolitics, trade policies, and supply-demand imbalances on nickel, cobalt, and lithium pricing and supply chains. 2.SMM Pricing System: Interpreting the authoritative price formation mechanism and providing future trend forecasts. 3.Industry Chain Collaboration: Facilitating long-term contract negotiations and one-on-one business matchmaking to enhance upstream-downstream cooperation. 4.Technological Innovation: Exploring cutting-edge advancements in battery materials to support corporate strategic planning. Highlights: 1.Full Industry Chain Participation: Gathering global stakeholders, including resource extraction, refining, R&D, and end-use manufacturers. 2.Authoritative Market Insights: SMM will release in-depth analysis and price benchmarks for nickel, cobalt, and lithium. 3.Efficient Networking: Structured business matchmaking to promote long-term supply chain partnerships. 4.This conference will deliver forward-looking insights, empowering enterprises to navigate resource flows and market transformations while advancing the sustainable development of the global new energy industry chain.

Polaris Energy Storage Network learned that on June 10, 2025, Zimbabwe's Minister of Mines, Winston Chitando, announced at a media briefing following a cabinet meeting that the Zimbabwean government had decided to impose a complete ban on the export of lithium concentrates starting from January 1, 2027, allowing only the departure of processed products such as lithium sulfate and above.

After the Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference & Expo 2025​​​​​​​, Wu Chenyu, SMM's Nickel Industry Marketing Director, and Enzo, a nickel industry analyst, led a team of international visitors to visit the Indonesia Branch of Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology Co., Ltd.

Recently, to promote the recycling of renewable resources and standardize the import management of regenerated black mass raw materials for lithium-ion batteries and regenerated steel raw materials, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the General Administration of Customs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the "Announcement on Matters Related to Standardizing the Import Management of Regenerated Black Mass Raw Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries and Regenerated Steel Raw Materials," which will come into effect on August 1, 2025.

Recently, the Administrative Approval Bureau of Ganzhou City issued a public notice on administrative approval applications, announcing that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the 15,000 mt/year lithium carbonate project (re-application) of Jiangxi Xiangnan New Energy Co., Ltd. has been approved. It is reported that the project is located in the Xinhua Industrial Zone of Dayu Industrial Park, Jiangxi Province, with a total investment of 2.1 billion yuan, including 25 million yuan for environmental protection, accounting for 1.19% of the total investment. The main investments in this project include 90 million yuan for equipment, 50 million yuan for working capital, and 70 million yuan for other purposes (including environmental protection investment). The main product is 15,000 mt/year of battery-grade lithium carbonate, with a by-product of 73,483.25 mt/year of sodium sulfate decahydrate.