Hyundai Motor Group announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Zhejiang Huayou Recycling Technology, a subsidiary of China’s Huayou Cobalt, to jointly build an electric vehicle (EV) battery circular economy in Indonesia. Under the agreement, the two parties plan to collect battery scrap generated during production at HLI Green Power, the joint battery cell plant established by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Indonesia. The scrap will be pre-treated at Huayou Recycling’s local facilities and crushed into “black mass,” a powder containing various metals, from which key minerals can later be extracted and reused in battery manufacturing.

[Toyota Tsusho and LG Energy Solution Plan to Establish a Joint Venture for Automotive Battery Recycling in North America] On June 19, Toyota Tsusho announced that it had reached an agreement with LG Energy Solution to establish a joint venture for automotive battery recycling in North Carolina, US. The newly established joint venture will operate a pre-processing business to crush and sort battery scrap, extracting valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium. The goal is to establish a supply chain that recycles these materials into new battery production. The relevant facilities are expected to begin operations in 2026.

On June 10, 2025, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of the People's Republic of China officially announced the "Announcement on Matters Related to Regulating the Import Management of Recycled Black Mass Raw Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries and Recycled Steel Raw Materials".

SMM News on June 18: Today, the price of e-bike lead-acid battery scrap (external formation) polar plates is reported to be 19,000-19,200 yuan/mt. The demand in the battery market is average, and producers are maintaining a produce-based-on-sales strategy. Due to the relative pullback in lead prices, some enterprises are restocking on a need-based basis at lower prices. Additionally, as the traditional off-season is coming to an end, a small number of enterprises intend to increase their production plans in July, but actual production will still be based on changes in end-use consumption. 》Order to view historical SMM metal spot prices

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.

[SMM Lead Morning Meeting Summary: Lead Ingot Supply Side Expected to Tighten Further, Monitor Price Changes of Mainstream Brand Lead-acid Batteries]...On the supply side, there are currently no signs of further expansion in the production cuts and suspensions by secondary lead smelters. Attention should be paid to the impact of maintenance work on primary lead for delivery brands in the middle and late of the month on supply and lead prices. On the consumption side, mainstream lead-acid battery brands have recently announced plans to raise prices, while other lead-acid battery producers are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. If the market accepts the price hikes by mainstream brands, there is a possibility of a slight price increase in tandem...