SMM News, May 28: According to recent market reports, prices of high-purity gallium (6N and above) in the European market have surged sharply recently, with spot trading prices standing at around $2,350 per kilogram. A senior insider in the gallium industry stated in an interview that the bulk spot transaction price of 6N high-purity gallium exported by their company has exceeded $2,300 per kilogram. This clearly reflects the acute shortage of high-purity gallium supply across overseas markets.

SMM News, May 28: According to recent market feedback, prices of high-purity gallium (6N and above) in the European market have continued to rise sharply, with spot transaction prices reaching around $2,350/kg. According to a senior gallium industry insider interviewed, their enterprise's bulk spot transaction price for 6N high-purity gallium exported abroad has reached over $2,300/kg. This clearly illustrates the severity of the high-purity gallium supply shortage in markets outside China.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Brazilian Rare Earths shares rose 8.7% after the company advanced plans to spin off its Amargosa Bauxite-Gallium Project in Brazil into a new ASX-listed entity, Alurion Resources. The demerger is intended to sharpen BRE’s focus on rare earths while giving shareholders exposure to a separate bauxite and gallium growth platform, with BRE retaining a minority stake in Alurion.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Western Yilgarn said re-assaying at its Cardea 1 project in Western Australia confirmed shallow gallium mineralization across multiple zones within the Darling Range bauxite province. Results showed gallium oxide grades exceeding 140 ppm, with broad shallow intersections from surface to ~7 meters depth. The company believes the project could support both bauxite and critical minerals development, including potential future gallium recovery linked to alumina production.

China is exploring the recovery of critical metals such as germanium, aluminum, lithium and gallium from coal waste to strengthen domestic strategic mineral supply. Research shows that fly ash and gangue generated during coal mining, washing and combustion may contain recoverable metals used in batteries, semiconductors, electric vehicles and defense industries. With China’s large coal sector and mature industrial network, existing coal washing plants, chemical facilities and power stations could potentially be adapted for metal extraction. However, differences in coal waste composition across regions continue to create challenges for large-scale and standardized recovery.

The US is advancing a $450M gallium supply chain project centered on the Gramercy alumina refinery in Louisiana, which is expected to host the country’s first large-scale gallium production circuit. The project involves Atlantic Alumina and includes about $150M in Pentagon funding. As the US currently has no domestic gallium production, the Gramercy refinery has become a critical asset, though its alumina operations rely entirely on imported Jamaican bauxite. China currently controls around 98% to 99% of global low-purity gallium supply, and following export restrictions, the US is accelerating efforts to build domestic critical mineral supply chains. However, the current US gallium and rare earth supply chain remains highly dependent on a single refinery and Jamaican bauxite supply.