Iron phosphate negotiations in April were deadlocked, with offers hitting 13,000 yuan/mt. The price surge appeared raw-material driven, but in fact reflected pricing power shifting upstream after a reversal in supply-demand fundamentals. Downstream buyers cited “cost increases” to push back, yet conveniently forgot the upstream losses quietly absorbed over the past three years. This was never about simple cost pass-through—it was a restructuring of profit distribution across the chain.

[SMM Steel] On March 25, 2026, the European Steel Association (Eurofer) issued a stark warning following the release of the latest OECD data, labeling global steel overcapacity an "existential threat" to European steelmaking, investment, and jobs. The data reveals that global steelmaking capacity has climbed to a record 2.4 billion mt, with excess capacity reaching 640 million mt in 2025—exceeding total OECD production by over 200 million mt. Eurofer Director-General Axel Eggert is calling for the immediate adoption of a robust tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system to shield the EU market from trade diversion and stabilize the domestic industry before current measures expire

[SMM Steel] According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), U.S. domestic raw steel production for the week ending March 28, 2026, reached 1.803 million net tons, with a capacity utilization rate of 77.9%. This marks a 1.2% increase from the previous week (1.781 million net tons) and a significant 5.9% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Adjusted year-to-date production through March 28 stands at 22.197 million net tons, up 5.0% year-on-year, reflecting a steady recovery in the U.S. steel sector.

At a conference call on March 31, Sungrow stated regarding the company’s overall target plan for energy storage shipments in 2026 that the global market is expected to grow by 30–50 in 2026. With raw material prices rising, some projects were in a wait-and-see stage, but the demand should still exist and would only be deferred. The company will strive based on the upper end of market growth, hoping to achieve more than 60 Gwh.

German company, Tozero, announced on March 27 (local time) the official launch of its industrial-scale demonstration plant. The company has built a facility at the Gendorf chemical park in Bavaria, Germany, capable of processing more than 1,500 tons of waste batteries annually. The process enables the recovery of lithium carbonate, graphite, and nickel-cobalt mixtures from spent batteries for reuse as battery raw materials. The plant is expected to recycle resources equivalent to batteries from approximately 6,000 electric vehicles per year, reducing reliance on landfill disposal.

According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the 30th, Samsung SDI has filed for and is in the process of securing a patent for a composite anode material. The patent, titled “Composite anode active material and anode and lithium secondary battery including the same,” was originally filed on July 10, 2020, and was published on March 24. It covers an anode material combining graphite with an average particle size (D50) of approximately 18μm or larger, graphite of around 10μm or larger, and a silicon-carbon composite. The technology focuses on enhancing structural stability and extending battery lifespan by densely filling the electrode with graphite particles of different sizes.