Venezuela's ruling party-controlled National Assembly on Thursday approved a mining bill expected to open the sector to private and overseas investment, after the US eased restrictions on the country to stimulate external capital investment in its struggling economy.The bill repealed the 1999 and 2015 mining regulations, allowing domestic, overseas, and state-owned and private companies or consortia to mine gold and "strategic minerals." The maximum term for concessions is 30 years, but can be extended by up to two 10-year periods.Under the bill, mineral resources remain state property, disputes can be resolved through arbitration, and a royalty tax of 13% of the total value of minerals is levie.
Apr 10, 2026 21:56Nguyen Thu Lan at Commerzbank noted that copper, once among the weakest-performing metals under pressure from rising London Metal Exchange (LME) inventories and mixed supply side news, has now transformed into one of the best-performing metals.Potential inventory sell-offs and the restart of the Panama mine could suppress price gains in the short term, but the sharp decline in Chilean production suggests that once concerns about economic growth ease, supply worries could dominate, supporting copper prices higher over the longer term.Nguyen said: "Copper is one of the best-performing metals. On the one hand, this can be attributed to copper being viewed as a highly cyclical metal.
Apr 10, 2026 21:55Argentine lawmakers passed a government-backed reform bill aimed at promoting mining investment in glacier regions. Environmentalists and scientists said the move would weaken related protections and threaten water security.The lower house passed the reform bill with 137 votes in favor, 111 against, and 3 abstentions. The bill took effect immediately upon publication in the official gazette.The reform, driven by the libertarian government of Javier Milei, sparked controversy for allowing provinces to set their own protection standards for glaciers and periglacial areas. Critics said the shift could weaken protections for high-altitude glacial landscapes that serve as vital freshwater reserves.
Apr 10, 2026 21:54![[SMM Analysis] Post-Holiday Rebound Lifts China's Stainless Steel Futures, But Physical Market Tells a Cautious Story](https://imgqn.smm.cn/production/admin/votes/imagesUAxqd20260410202627.jpeg)
Macro tailwinds drive a 320 yuan recovery in SS2605, while high supply and weak spot demand limit the upside
Apr 10, 2026 20:19According to information obtained from Pony.ai, World Model 2 has been applied in Pony.ai's L4 autonomous driving fleet and R&D system to drive faster expansion and commercial monetization capabilities. The direction of World Model 2 is that the AI system begins to take over an increasing number of stages in its own evolution process, with even R&D stages (including data collection, model training, simulation performance evaluation, etc.) primarily driven by AI.
Apr 10, 2026 20:13[SMM Titanium Spot Brief: Titanium Dioxide Prices Rose, Titanium Slag Prices Fell, Titanium Ore Prices Held Steady] On April 10, acid-soluble titanium slag prices fell, while reduced titanium and high-titanium slag prices held steady. Titanium tetrachloride prices rose, and titanium ore prices remained largely stable overall. Titanium dioxide prices saw a broad rise this week, with anatase and rutile grades posting notable gains, while chloride-process titanium dioxide edged up. High-titanium slag prices are expected to hold steady, and titanium concentrate prices are likely to see limited fluctuations.
Apr 10, 2026 18:49Regarding SMM: Copper Scrap Supply-Demand Balance: Annual Data Discontinuation Notice
DataApr 8, 2026 14:12Please be informed that April 3rd (Friday), 2026, coincides with the public holidays for Good Friday in several countries, including Indonesia and Philippines. Due to the holiday, the SMM Industry Res
PriceApr 3, 2026 15:17Announcement on Adding New Price Points for Platinum Group Compounds
PriceApr 2, 2026 17:24

