On November 14 2025, Malaysia launched the region’s first electric vehicle (EV) battery passport standard, MS 2018 Similar to initiatives under the European DDP for battery industry, MS 2818 will serve as a digital record of the EV battery lifecycle, from production to disposal. It is intended to support transparency, sustainability, and traceability across the entire EV supply chain.

In February 2026, sales based on traffic compulsory insurance of new vehicles in China’s passenger vehicle market totaled 1.145 million units, down 13.2% YoY. Notably, this marked the fourth consecutive month since last November that the market posted a decline of more than 10%. Combined sales for January and February reached 2.704 million units, down 14.3% YoY.

As supply and demand for construction steel were not fully matched across different markets, regional supply-demand mismatches created price differentiation, which in turn drove the cross-regional circulation of steel resources. When the regional price spread gradient was appropriate, regions with surplus construction steel capacity and production often shipped excess resources out, thereby rebalancing construction steel resources across regions.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy Express] On March 16, Zhongxin Nenghua conducted an inquiry-based procurement for the feasibility study of the Duolun Coal Chemical coal-based process biomass co-firing coupled with green electricity for green methanol production project, as well as technical consulting services for green methanol certification. The principal entity was Datang Inner Mongolia Duolun Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. It was understood that the Datang Duolun 150,000 kW wind and solar power hydrogen production integration demonstration project was China’s first medium-to-large-scale scientific and technological demonstration project for deep coupling of off-grid wind and solar power hydrogen production with coal chemical engineering. The project was invested in and constructed by Datang Duolun Ruiyuan New Energy Co., Ltd., with a total investment of approximately 1.3 billion yuan. Construction officially commenced in November 2023, construction officially commenced in November 2023, hydrogen was successfully produced on December 29, 2024, and the project was officially connected to the grid and put into operation on January 17, 2025.

According to customs data, the total import volume of lithium spodumene in China from January to February 2026 was approximately 1.39 million physical tonnes: January imports reached 832,000 physical tonnes, up nearly 6% month-on-month and 41% year-on-year, equivalent to about 84,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE); February imports stood at 558,000 physical tonnes, down 33% month-on-month and approximately 2% year-on-year, equivalent to about 50,000 tonnes of LCE. Overall, the arrival volume in January reached an exceptionally high level, mainly due to the tight supply of lithium salts in the fourth quarter of 2025, which drove strong production enthusiasm among domestic lithium spodumene smelters and consequently led to a high demand for lithium ore. In February, arrivals declined due to the Chinese New Year holiday and potential vessel delays. By country of origin, Australia saw a 17% month-on-month recovery in January arrivals, significantly rebounding, supported by improved shipments from November to December 2025. However, after entering January, at the beginning of the quarter, Australian miners adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward lithium prices for the new year, leading to lower shipments. Combined with the Chinese New Year factor in February, arrivals in February decreased by 23% month-on-month. Zimbabwe entered the rainy season after October last year, resulting in a slight decline in concentrate output. Coupled with adjustments to export tax rates and the accounting period at the beginning of the year, arrivals fell by 35% and 18% month-on-month in January and February, respectively. Nigeria has seen a continuous rise in arrivals since June 2025, maintaining high levels. South Africa performed notably well, with arrivals remaining above 100,000 physical tonnes for three consecutive months from December 2025 to February 2026. In contrast, Brazil saw persistently low arrivals in January and February this year, as certain mines had not yet resumed production from October to December last year. Additionally, according to screening and analysis using the SMM model, lithium spodumene imports in January corresponded to approximately 84,000 tonnes of LCE, with lithium concentrate amounting to 636,000 physical tonnes, accounting for 76%. In February, lithium spodumene imports corresponded to 50,000 tonnes of LCE, with lithium concentrate amounting to 438,000 physical tonnes, accounting for 79%.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy Bulletin] Recently, the kick-off meeting for the international standard High-Pressure Liquid Hydrogen Pump for Hydrogen Refueling Station, led and submitted by the Low-Carbon Institute, was held online. After the standard project was approved in November last year, this meeting clarified the advancement plan and technical roadmap, bringing together 20 experts from China, the United States, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, and the European Industrial Gases Association, who reached consensus on key issues including the scope of the standard and application scenarios, laying a solid foundation for the standard’s high-quality and timely delivery.