Nearly one year after China reopened qualified black mass imports, the market has evolved differently from initial expectations. While stronger linkages have emerged between China's domestic and overseas markets, water-soluble fluorine remains a key constraint on direct imports. Meanwhile, overseas intermediate processing has gained attention as an alternative supply chain model, reflecting the industry's growing focus on cross-border resource integration and supply chain optimization.

Since the start of the year, growth in the European solar market has slowed markedly. SMM expects total new solar installations in the European market to fall to around 68.5GW in 2026, a year on year decline of about 2 percent. Alongside softening demand, multiple EU level supply chain restriction policies continue to advance, including the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), and restrictive measures targeting inverters from so called high risk countries.

1. Tender Conditions The bid inviter for this tender project, July Heavy Titanium Iron Powder (PGWZMYHGZHD260701300677), is Pangang Group Materials Trading Co., Ltd. The project funds are from self-financing. This project has met the tender conditions and is now open for public tender. 2. Project Overview and Tender Scope 2.1 Project Name: July Heavy Titanium Iron Powder 2.2 If the tender fails, it will be converted to other procurement methods: negotiation procurement 2.3 For details on the tender content, scope, and scale, please refer to the attachment Material List Attachment.pdf. 3. Bidder Qualification Requirements 3.1 Joint bidding is not allowed in this tender. 3.2 Bidders are required to possess the following qualification requirements: (1) Production-type business license (2) Circulation-type business license 3.3 Bidders are required to meet the following registered capital requirements: Production-type registered capital: 2 million yuan and above Circulation-type registered capital: 2 million yuan and above 3.4 Bidders are required to have the following performance requirements: Bidders must provide relevant supply performance records for similar products (limited to the bid submission deadline, provide VAT invoices within 3 years). 3.5 Bidders are required to possess the following capability requirements, financial requirements, and other requirements: Financial requirement: Registered capital should be ≥ 2 million yuan. Capability requirement: Bidders should have been established for ≥ 1 year and possess legal business qualifications. Other requirement: If it is a sole proprietorship (partnership) enterprise, capital proof documents must be uploaded. 3.6 For projects that must legally undergo tender, bids from dishonest executees are invalid. 4. Obtaining the Tender Documents 4.1 All prospective bidders may log in to the Ansteel Smart Tender and Bid Platform at http://bid.ansteel.cn from 23:00 on July 2, 2026 to 08:45 on July 23, 2026 (Beijing time, the same hereinafter) to download the electronic tender documents. Click to view tender details:

SMM July 2 News: Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh stated on Wednesday that US inflation upside risks have clearly cooled over the past four weeks, easing market concerns about aggressive rate hikes; he also indicated that no further forward guidance would be released on subsequent interest rate policy, refusing to disclose whether the US Fed needs to consider a rate hike at its next meeting; the US dollar weakened, and precious metals rebounded. As of around 16:09 on July 2, COMEX gold dropped 0.11% to $4,077.9/ounce; SHFE gold main contract rose 1.53% to 890.66 yuan/g; COMEX silver dropped 1.1% to $59.845/ounce; SHFE silver main contract rose 1.91% to 14,650 yuan/kg; silver T+D rose 2.95% to 14,551 yuan/kg. In the precious metals stock market, as of the close on July 2, the precious metals sector rose 4.21%, with individual stocks: Zhaojin Gold and Chifeng Gold hit their daily limit up, while Shanjin International, Xiaocheng Technology, Zhongjin Gold, and Western Gold led the gains. News [Warsh: Inflation Eases Over Past Four Weeks, AI Is Reshaping Economy, Forward Guidance Loses Necessity] On July 1, at the ECB's annual central bank forum in Sintra, Portugal, Warsh again clearly stated that the US Fed would not provide forward guidance on the future interest rate path , hoping that policymakers can engage in thorough discussions based on the latest data at each meeting, rather than previewing the policy direction to the market in advance. He said that US inflation risks had eased over the past four weeks, and the supply expansion brought by AI could profoundly change how the economy operates, with the US at the center of this transformation, but whether AI ultimately leads to inflation or deflation should be judged by the central bank based on data. Warsh said the US Fed is “charting a new path” and will no longer hint at the direction of interest rates in advance as it did in the past. He said: “We will hold our next meeting in four weeks, and I hope we can have a real family-style debate then.” He reiterated that forward guidance is not the right policy in the current economic situation, and the US Fed will continue to base its decisions on the latest economic data in the future, rather than committing to a policy path in advance. This means that the US Fed will rely more on real-time economic data rather than sending policy signals to the market in advance. Spot Market Silver In the spot market: On July 2, the reference average factory price of SMM 1# silver in the morning was 14,558 yuan/kg, up 3.35% from the previous trading day. In the spot market, overall offers remained firm early in the month, but transaction follow-through was slightly weak, and consumption performance fell short of expectations. As silver prices rebounded slightly, downstream wait-and-see sentiment intensified. In Shanghai, morning offers were mainly at TD+5 to +15 yuan/kg. Some smelters quoted on the high side, but actual buying interest was weak, with most deals clustered around TD+10 yuan/kg. In other regions, low-priced cargoes had basically been cleared, while offers in Shenzhen were mostly around TD+5-10 yuan/kg. Today, the market quoted premiums for the SHFE most-traded contract 2608 at a discount of 30 to 20 yuan/kg. Overall, a slight cooling in rate-hike expectations provided some support for precious metals prices. At the start of the month, the spot direction remained unclear. Maintenance at copper plants last month caused a slight disruption on the supply side, and offers generally maintained a slight premium structure. Views From Various Parties Regarding the outlook for precious metals, some institutions’ views are as follows: On July 1, the World Gold Council released the “2026 Mid-Year Outlook for the Global Gold Market.” Looking ahead to H2, gold’s valuation framework indicated that gold will continue to serve as a barometer of the global macro economy, with three main possible scenarios. From current levels, gold prices were broadly in line with market consensus: the market expected the US Fed to raise rates at least once in 2026, most likely in October; the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, and the European Central Bank were all set to tighten policy; and US Q2 inflation was expected to peak, near $3.9. If there were no major changes in the above environment, gold prices may trade around $4,100/oz within the year, with a fluctuation range of about ±5. If geopolitical or economic conditions deteriorate, or if interest-rate expectations shift, gold is expected to regain its upward momentum; however, only sufficiently strong signals of a global economic slowdown would be likely to drive a breakout to the upside. On the downside, a stronger US dollar, rate hikes exceeding expectations, and a rebound in market risk appetite were the main headwinds for gold prices; if gold prices remain below $4,000/oz, it may trigger further selling. However, based on historical performance, if gold prices fall by more than 10% from current levels, it may trigger “buy-the-dip” demand from long-term investors in multiple regions. State Street Investment Management said that, as the opportunity cost of holding gold and heightened volatility weighed on investor sentiment, bullish gold trades had been weak, and spot gold prices repeatedly tested the $4,000/oz support level. State Street believed that, although gold prices may be more volatile than in 2024-2025, the gold bull-cycle still has upside room, and the US Fed’s hawkish policy shift was expected not to change gold’s post-pandemic structural trend. State Street noted, “Since the US-Iran conflict, China’s retail gold imports have surged, and local premiums have risen in tandem, reflecting tightening fundamentals in China’s gold supply-demand balance.”State Street expects that over the next six to nine months gold prices could rise to the $4,750 to $5,500 per ounce range, with strong support in the $3,750 to $4,000 per ounce area. However, compared with the macro environment from January to February, the probability of gold prices reaching $5,500 to $6,250 per ounce is relatively small. (Zhitong Finance) State Street Investment Management strategists noted in a report that gold prices could reach $5,000 per ounce by early 2027, as the gold bull cycle remains persistent. They believe that as U.S. government debt rises, gold's role as a currency hedge is expected to be supported, while actual demand for gold remains strong. Global gold fund holdings (as a share of global mutual fund and exchange-traded fund assets) currently remain below State Street's target allocation of 3% to 10% for most portfolios. Moreover, they added that a hawkish pivot by the Fed should not alter gold’s structural post-pandemic trend. State Street expects base bullion prices to rise to $4,750 to $5,500 per ounce in the next six to nine months. (Jinshi Data APP) Analysts at Saxo Bank said, "The market has not yet attracted enough buying interest to establish that level as a support level." They also pointed out, "Even though energy prices have pulled back recently, investors still expect the Fed may further tighten monetary policy to combat an inflation rebound, and as a result, gold prices fell 14% in Q2, marking the worst quarterly performance since 2013." (Jinshi Data APP) CICC's latest research report pointed out that gold may have already overpriced rate hike expectations. Fed rate hikes are still not the base case, and the gold market may have overly priced in rate hike expectations, leaving room for a pullback this year. CICC's macro team believes that employment and consumption pressures, along with the expanding financing needs of the U.S. AI economy, may make it difficult for the Fed to materially turn hawkish, and monetary policy may be "hawkish in words but dovish in action." Based on the implied interest rate expectations model from gold prices, it is estimated that the current gold price around $4,000 per ounce has fully priced in three to four rate hikes, exceeding the rate hike expectations priced in by the interest rate futures market. Looking ahead, after the decline in oil prices is further reflected in U.S. short-term inflation data, the gold market's pricing of rate hike expectations may be corrected, and futures market short-term funds may have opportunities to cover short positions. (Jinshi Data APP) Li Xunlei, Deputy Director of the China Chief Economist Forum, pointed out that gold's long-term trend exhibits long bear markets and short bull markets. Since 1971, 30 years have been bear markets and 25 years have been bull markets, but each bull market has seen gains of over fivefold. A bull market typically lasts around 10 years. This gold bull run has now lasted nearly 10 years, with prices tripling during that time, so caution is warranted at this stage. (Jin10 Data App) Deutsche Bank analyst Michael Hsueh said the bank has cut its Q3 gold price forecast by over 20% to $4,300/oz and lowered its Q4 forecast by 17% to $4,800/oz. "Potential investors who would normally provide support are notably absent," he said, pointing to weak demand for exchange-traded funds and reduced buying appetite in some countries. (Jin10 Data App) Macquarie said profit-taking weighed on silver prices last month, and price action is once again driven by macro factors amid rising expectations for US Fed interest rate hikes. Similar to gold, silver prices are expected to move sideways for the rest of the year, then gradually decline into 2027, with inflationary pressures and the likelihood of further US Fed rate hikes limiting upside room. The higher inflation and bond yields, the greater the downward pressure. Silver, in particular, has been more susceptible to a pullback after outperforming gold, driven by bullish sentiment fueled by supply tightens, low inventory, and strong demand. Historically, silver pullbacks tend to be rapid. Macquarie expects silver to trade at $70/oz in Q4 this year and pull back to $65/oz by the end of 2027. (Jin10 Data APP) Recommended reads:

Zhongke Fuhai Technology Co., Ltd., a domestic enterprise in the low-temperature equipment field, recently completed a Pre-IPO round of equity financing, with a financing amount of 1 billion yuan , and the investor is Guoke Capital under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Public information shows that Zhongke Fuhai has completed multiple rounds of financing previously. The company completed its Series A financing in December 2020, led by CICC Capital; its Series B financing in May 2022, led by Sinopec Capital; and its Series C financing in August 2023, co-led by Chengtong Mixed-Reform Fund and CCB Equity, with a post-investment valuation reaching 7.8 billion yuan. In September of the same year, Zhongke Fuhai was listed among the 2023 China Hydrogen Energy Unicorn Enterprises. In terms of capital operations, Zhongke Fuhai completed its joint-stock transformation in October 2024. In April 2025, the company transferred 43,311,094 shares, accounting for 13.11% of the total share capital. The relevant transfer announcement shows that, given the uncertainty regarding the listing time on the STAR Market, the company was planning a Hong Kong stock market listing plan at that time. On October 13, 2025, Zhongke Fuhai handled tutoring and filing registration with the Beijing Securities Regulatory Bureau, with the tutoring institution being Zhongtai Securities; the legal service institution and accounting firm were Beijing Tongshang Law Firm and Baker Tilly China, respectively. After the completion of this Pre-IPO round of financing, the company's subsequent capital market process has drawn attention. According to information, Zhongke Fuhai was established in August 2016, headquartered in Beijing, and originated from the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is a high-tech enterprise transformed from low-temperature engineering technology achievements. The company's business covers low-temperature system design, manufacturing, and operation, and it is an integrated service provider in the fields of energy equipment, gas engineering, and green gas. With the expanding applications of liquid hydrogen, green hydrogen, and low-temperature equipment, the company's role in the hydrogen energy industry chain is expected to be further strengthened.

[SMM Analysis: Anode-Free Sodium-Ion Battery Track Heats Up, Inpower Technology's Pre-A+ Round Outlines "Technology + Capital + Industry" Synergy] SMM, July 2: The sodium-ion battery track has witnessed another landmark event. Recently, Inpower Technology, an anode-free sodium-ion battery enterprise, announced the completion of its Pre-A+ funding round at the 100 million yuan level. This round was co-led by Qifu Capital and the Fudan Science and Technology Innovation Fund, with follow-on investments from Su Science and Technology Innovation, Xianghe Capital, and a global top-tier player in lead-acid batteries. Judging by the composition of investors, this funding round has transcended mere financial support, presenting a composite structure of triple empowerment: "technology endorsement + industrial resources + regional policies." This reflects that the sodium-ion battery industry is accelerating its shift from the technology verification phase to the large-scale volume ramp-up phase...