In 2026, the correction in lithium carbonate prices drove up lithium battery production costs. Coupled with uncertainties in lithium resources supply, cost pressure across the new energy industry became increasingly prominent. Leveraging the advantages of abundant sodium resources, balanced distribution, and controllable costs, sodium-ion batteries have leapt from being a “backup option” for lithium batteries to a key direction for industry breakthrough...

Recent Middle East conflicts have disrupted the region's booming energy storage market, a major destination for Chinese exports. To assess the real impact on Chinese supply chains and project deliveries, we must analyze baseline demand amidst these geopolitical uncertainties.

On Feb 24, 2026, China placed 20 Japanese firms, including Subaru, on an export control watchlist for unverifiable end-use of dual-use items. This signals tighter controls on critical minerals and tech amid geopolitical and supply chain shifts. The analysis examines the firms' supply chain roles and the long-term industrial implications.

On February 24, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce issued Announcement No. 12 of 2026, adding 20 Japanese entities, including Subaru Corporation, to the export control "watch list" on the grounds of "inability to verify the end-users and end-uses of dual-use items." This move marks the first time since January 2026 that China has explicitly implemented such list-based management measures targeting Japanese enterprises, signaling a shift toward more precise, systematic, and in-depth development of export controls in the fields of critical minerals and high-tech materials. This article will conduct an in-depth analysis of the core backgrounds of these 20 enterprises, reveal their deep-seated connections with supply chains of critical materials such as rare earths, and explore the potential impact of this measure on the future global industrial landscape.

Recently, with the successive launch and commencement of operations of two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Shandong LinTie and Shandong NaYuan, in Juancheng County, Lopal has added a crucial piece to its new energy materials industrial layout in Heze. From its initial investment in 2021 to the current dual-track advancement of "lithium-sodium synergy," the enterprise has cumulatively invested over 3 billion yuan in Heze over the past five years. Shandong NaYuan, progressing simultaneously with Shandong LinTie, represents a key strategic move by Lopal to capture the sodium-ion battery market. With a total investment of 20 million yuan, the project is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 20kt of polyanion-type sodium-ion battery cathode materials and is scheduled for completion and operation in H2 of this year. Leveraging years of technological accumulation, the company has successfully overcome industry challenges such as low grinding efficiency and poor production consistency. The NFPP cathode materials produced exhibit significant advantages in high compaction density, high energy density, and long cycle life, and the industrialization process is accelerating.

[SMM Titanium Express] A Xinjiang CPPCC member proposed systematically developing the titanium industry as a new engine for high-quality development. Xinjiang has established a globally leading full industrial chain from titanium ore to sponge titanium and titanium materials, providing a solid foundation for producing high-value aerospace and medical products. The suggestion includes supporting leading firms to collaborate with research institutions on core technologies and leveraging Xinjiang's geographic advantage to export titanium products via the China-Europe Railway Express to Central Asia and Europe. Related enterprises plan to invest in a vanadium-titanium industrial chain project in southern Xinjiang, expected to create substantial employment.