Dongwon Group has built a large-scale battery manufacturing facility in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. The investment totals $80 million (approximately KRW 120 billion). On Mar. 25 (local time), the Baja California state government and the Secretariat of Economic Innovation (SEI) officially announced the successful attraction of new Korean investment, stating that Mexicali is emerging as a key hub for high value-added industries.

UK rare earth exploration company Harena Rare Earths signed an exclusivity agreement to evaluate the acquisition of Paradigm Critical Minerals’ heavy rare earth and uranium assets in California. The asset is located in San Bernardino County, about 100 miles from Mountain Pass mine, MP Materials’ rare earth mine, the only producing rare earth mine in North America. Historical drilling showed significant potential for the project, with surface exploration identifying a light-to-heavy rare earth ratio of about 50:50 and grab samples with TREO grades of up to around 2%. Uranium grades reached 10 times those of currently operating projects worldwide. Harena will conduct due diligence to advance the transaction, and the project will complement its ionic clay rare earth project in Madagascar.

POSCO Future M announced on the 13th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Sila at InterBattery 2026 held at COEX in Seoul on March 11. Sila, headquartered in California, is a battery materials company specializing in high-performance silicon anode technology.

[SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Sticky US Inflation Persisted, and the Center of LME Zinc Moved Lower] Overnight, LME zinc opened at $3,313/mt. In early trading, LME zinc maintained a fluctuating trend and touched a high of $3,352/mt. Entering the European trading session, LME zinc quickly fell to a low of $3,296.5/mt. In the night session, LME zinc gradually recovered its losses and fluctuated upward, hovering near the daily average line, before closing down at $3,315.5/mt, down $26.5/mt, or 0.79%. Trading volume decreased to 91,642 lots, and open interest increased by 494 lots to 217,000 lots.

The California 1st District Court of Appeal has affirmed the CPUC's Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0), rejecting a lawsuit from environmental and solar advocates. The ruling upholds the 2022 decision that slashed rooftop solar export credits by up to 80% to address the 'cost shift' between solar and non-solar ratepayers. Despite industry data showing a 60% to 80% drop in sales and the loss of over 17,000 jobs since NEM 3.0 took effect, the court concluded that the CPUC met statutory requirements for 'sustainable growth'. This decision effectively ends the standalone solar business model in California, making battery storage integration essential for homeowners to achieve a viable return on investment.

Tesla plans to expand its Supercharger station in Yermo, California, deploying over 400 next-generation V4 stalls, making it the world's largest. The first of six phases will install 72 V4 stalls. Located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the site aims to alleviate charging congestion and features drive-through spots designed for the Cybertruck and trailers.