[SMM Steel] Tata Steel Limited announced on March 18, 2026, the merger of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nilachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL), to consolidate its long products business. The merger aims to enhance management efficiency and accelerate capacity expansion at the Odisha mill from 0.98 million mt to 4.8 million mt. Additionally, the board approved a $2 billion investment in its Singapore-based subsidiary, T Steel Holdings Pte Ltd (TSHP), starting in FY 2026-27 to support overseas operations, fund capex, and restructure existing debts.

[POSCO and SK On Form Lithium Alliance for Battery Cooperation] POSCO and SK On have signed a long-term lithium supply agreement, aiming to stabilize the battery materials supply chain. According to a statement released by the two companies on Wednesday, POSCO will supply up to 25,000 mt of lithium from this year until 2028 under the agreement. This supply is sufficient to produce batteries for approximately 400,000 EVs. The lithium will be produced by POSCO Argentina at the Salar del Hombre Muerto salt flat in Salta Province, Argentina, and supplied to SK On's EV battery projects in Europe and North America. SK On is also considering using the material for ESS. Source: https://pulse.mk.co.kr/ [Cornwall's Geothermal Revolution: Extracting Green Energy and Lithium from Granite] The UK's renewable energy sector has achieved a significant leap forward, with a pioneering mini power station in Cornwall officially commencing operation, successfully using underground hot granite to produce zero-carbon electricity and extract high-value battery-grade lithium. Led by Geothermal Engineering Ltd., the project innovatively combines green power generation with critical minerals extraction, is expected to revitalize the region's historic mining economy and supply electricity to thousands of households via the power grid. For East Africa, a region rich in geothermal potential (particularly the Kenyan Rift Valley), the dual extraction technology provides an attractive model. If African energy producers can adopt this approach, simultaneously obtaining electricity and high-profit minerals from geothermal wells, it will significantly enhance the economic feasibility of green energy projects across the continent. Source: https://streamlinefeed.co.ke/ [Zimbabwe Bans Lithium Exports: Global Supply Chain Crisis Emerges] Zimbabwe's recent decision to implement a comprehensive ban on lithium exports marks a watershed moment for the global critical minerals market, highlighting the growing influence of resource nationalism on international supply chains. This policy shift reflects a broader trend: mineral-rich countries are prioritizing domestic value creation over raw material exports, fundamentally altering the landscape of the global battery metals market. The impact extends far beyond a single country; its ripple effects will run through international supply chains, from EVs to renewable energy infrastructure. When countries with significant mineral reserves impose export restrictions, the resulting market dynamics can permanently alter the entire industry's price structures, investment flows, and strategic planning. Zimbabwe's recent decision to suspend mineral exports is a prominent example of this phenomenon. This southern African country, which supplied approximately 10% of the world's lithium resources in 2024, has effectively cut off external supply of its battery metal resources, forcing international buyers to scramble for alternative sources, while domestic processing capacity remains severely underdeveloped. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [Atlantic Lithium Acquisition Proposal Rejected: 2026 Strategic Value Preservation Strategy] When mature miners pursue mergers and acquisitions during market recovery periods, the core of their strategy shifts from acquiring distressed assets to preserving strategic value. The lithium industry exemplifies this dynamic—during phases of rebounding commodity prices, pre-production developers increasingly tend to reject acquisition proposals, prioritizing long-term value creation over immediate liquidity events. Furthermore, understanding broader critical minerals strategies is essential when assessing these complex market dynamics. Market participants observed that spodumene concentrate prices rebounded from a cyclical low of $800/mt in October 2025 to approximately $1,900/mt by February 2026, a 137.5% increase within four months. This rapid recovery has created a significant valuation gap between acquirers' offers and target companies' intrinsic value assessments. The case of Atlantic Lithium's rejected acquisition proposal demonstrates how pre-production lithium developers evaluate conditional non-binding acquisition offers based on the medium and long-term demand fundamentals in the EV and BESS sectors. Enterprises in the late-stage permitting phase generally believe that current market conditions do not fully reflect the full potential of their asset portfolios. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [Indian Company Deploys Non-Lithium Multi-Ion Battery System] Mumbai-based battery technology developer Gegadyne Energy stated that its delivery of the first non-lithium multi-ion chemistry battery packs to two of the world's largest material handling original equipment manufacturers marks a true "inflection point" for the forklift industry. Gegadyne has completed the first commercial deployment of its non-lithium multi-ion chemistry battery packs with Linde Material Handling India and the Godrej & Boyce Group. The company claims that this battery, with a cycle life exceeding 5,000 cycles, can be charged from 0% to 100% in 15 minutes, thereby "completely eliminating" dependence on the lithium supply chain. Designed for forklifts, cranes, and warehouse equipment, the battery operates effectively within a temperature range of -40°C to 65°C. Source: https://www.forkliftaction.com/

[SMM Silicon-Based PV Morning Conference Summary] Silicon Metal: Post-Chinese New Year, the market exhibited strong wait-and-see sentiment, with silicon enterprise offers remaining basically stable compared to pre-holiday levels. Yesterday, SMM assessed oxygen-blown #553 silicon in east China at 9,200-9,400 yuan/mt and #441 silicon at 9,300-9,600 yuan/mt. The most-traded futures contract fluctuated near 8,350-8,450 yuan/mt, while some futures-spot traders saw their spot-futures price spread quotes strengthen slightly. On the first trading day after the holiday, market activity was dominated by inquiries, with limited spot transaction volumes. Silicone: Yesterday's transaction price stood at 13,800-14,000 yuan/mt, holding steady from pre-holiday levels. During the Chinese New Year holiday, demand remained stagnant. Post-holiday, as downstream plants resumed operations and the first wave of rigid restocking demand gradually emerged, coupled with low operating rates on the supply side and the upcoming silicone monomer industry conference in Zhejiang from late February to early March, silicone prices are still expected to rise.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the steel industry continued to deepen supply-side structural reforms, persistently advanced capacity governance, and achieved a cumulative reduction in production exceeding 100 million mt. Recently, at the 13th Member Congress of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), CISA Chairman Zhao Minge made the above statement. He pointed out that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the industry's capacity governance efforts will focus on "controlling increments, optimizing stock, promoting mergers and reorganizations, and facilitating exits," adhering to market-oriented and rule-of-law principles, strictly blocking new capacity additions, smoothing exit channels for outdated capacity......

SMM Morning Meeting Minutes: On Friday, LME copper opened at $13,230/mt, hitting an intraday high of $13,481.5/mt in early trading, after which copper prices fluctuated downward, touching a low of $12,845/mt near the close, and finally settled at $13,070.5/mt, down 4.63%. Trading volume reached 29,000 lots, an increase of 2,143 lots from the previous trading day; open interest stood at 330,000 lots, a decrease of 1,761 lots from the previous trading day, with the overall performance mainly reflecting long liquidation. On Friday evening, the most-traded SHFE copper 2603 contract opened at 104,200 yuan/mt, fluctuated rangebound in early trading before reaching a high of 105,080 yuan/mt, then fluctuated downward, touching a low of 102,700 yuan/mt near the close, and finally settled at 103,190 yuan/mt, down 4.75%. Trading volume reached 183,000 lots, a decrease of 603,000 lots from the previous trading day; open interest stood at 219,000 lots, a decrease of 4,081 lots from the previous trading day, with the overall performance mainly reflecting long liquidation.

On June 17, the share price of China Nonferrous Mining Corporation Limited (CNMC) rose. As of 14:29 on June 17, CNMC's shares increased by 2.03%, closing at HK$7.03 per share. On June 16, CNMC (01258) announced that its subsidiary, CNMC (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, had signed the 2025 Gecamines Copper Cathode Purchase Agreement with Gecamines on June 16, 2025. The total contract value was approximately $67.03 million, involving the purchase of 7,000 metric tons of high-grade copper cathode processed by CNMC Huaxin Hydrometallurgy. CNMC (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of the company. Gecamines holds a 40% stake in the company's subsidiary, Kambove Mining, and is considered a connected person at the subsidiary level under the Listing Rules. Therefore, the transactions proposed under the 2025 Gecamines Copper Cathode Purchase Agreement constitute connected transactions of the company under Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules. According to CNMC's announcement, as one or more of the applicable percentage ratios in relation to the transactions proposed under the 2025 Gecamines Copper Cathode Purchase Agreement, when considered on a standalone basis, exceed 0.1% but are all below 5%, these transactions are subject to the reporting, annual review, and announcement requirements under Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules and are exempt from the requirement for independent shareholders' approval. Under Rule 14A.81 of the Listing Rules, if a series of connected transactions are all conducted within the same 12-month period or are interrelated, these transactions must be aggregated and treated as a single transaction. The transactions proposed under the 2025 Gecamines Copper Cathode Purchase Agreement are similar in nature to previous transactions and must be aggregated. When aggregated with previous transactions, all applicable percentage ratios for the transactions proposed under this agreement exceed 0.1% but are below 5%. Therefore, these transactions are subject to the reporting and announcement requirements under Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules and are exempt from the requirement for independent shareholders' approval. The key terms of the agreement include the agreement period from June 16, 2025, to December 31, 2025. Pricing: The price per metric ton for the copper cathode sold under the 2025 Gecamines Copper Cathode Purchase Agreement shall be determined by reference to the average price during the agreed quotation period (i.e., the month following the delivery month, hereinafter referred to as the "Quotation Period"). This price is calculated by deducting a discount of $425 per metric ton from the daily cash seller's quotation for Grade A copper on the London Metal Exchange during the Quotation Period, after fair negotiations between the contracting parties. Therefore, the total market value of the copper cathode is approximately $70,000,000 (before deducting the discount). Payment: The payment for the 2025 Gecamines Copper Cathode Purchase Agreement shall be made by CNMC (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited to Gecamines' designated account via telegraphic transfer within five (5) working days after the delivery of the copper cathode. Delivery Period: CNMC Hong Kong Holdings Limited is required to appoint a carrier to dispatch trucks to Gécamines' plant for cargo loading within ten (10) days from the date Gécamines provides the goods. Regarding the reasons for this transaction, the announcement by China Nonferrous Mining Corporation Limited (CNMC) indicates that the copper cathode purchased under the 2025 agreement will meet the demand for copper cathode from CNMC Hong Kong Holdings Limited and its customers. The Board believes that entering into this agreement is beneficial to the Group and aligns with the Group's business and commercial objectives. The agreement was negotiated on a one-off basis, taking into account the recent demand for copper cathode and the market supply and demand conditions at the time of signing. As of the announcement date, the Group has no plans to purchase copper cathode from Gécamines on an annual basis. If the Company plans to engage in continuous daily transactions with Gécamines in the future, it will comply with all applicable provisions of the Listing Rules. When commenting on CNMC's 2024 annual report and 2025 Q1 results, Minsheng Securities stated: "Historical best annual net profit attributable to shareholders, with expectations for sustained growth in self-produced copper." On April 25, 2025, the Company released its 2024 annual report and 2025 Q1 results. In 2024, the Company achieved revenue of $3.817 billion, up 5.8% YoY, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of $399 million, up 43.6% YoY. On a quarterly basis, the Company achieved a net profit attributable to shareholders of $85 million in 2024Q4, up 273.9% YoY and down 11.1% MoM; in 2025Q1, the Company achieved a net profit attributable to shareholders of $123 million, up 46% YoY and up 46% QoQ. The 2025Q1 results exceeded market expectations. The record-high net profit attributable to shareholders in 2024 was mainly due to the rise in copper prices. ① Production: Affected by the change of service providers and tight power supply in the DRC, the self-produced copper output declined slightly YoY. In 2024, the Company's production of blister copper and copper anode/copper cathode/sulphuric acid was 28.6/12.6/1.056 million mt, with YoY changes of +0.1%, -11.4%, and +10.5%, respectively. Among them, self-produced blister copper and copper anode/copper cathode were 7.77/81,500 mt, down 11.4% and 0.2% YoY, respectively. The total self-produced copper ore was 159,000 mt, down 6% YoY. The decrease in self-produced blister copper and copper anode output was mainly due to a 10.9% YoY decline in CNMC Nonferrous Mining's copper output to 68,000 mt, as the change of underground mining service providers in H1 affected the production of sulphide ore. From a quarterly production perspective, Q2-Q4 had recovered to a level of 17,000-18,000 mt per quarter. In addition, although self-produced copper cathode production remained basically flat, the production of copper cathode from externally purchased oxide ore decreased, leading to a YoY decline in total copper cathode output, mainly due to production losses at Huaxin Hydrometallurgy and Huaxin Mabende caused by power shortages in the DRC. ② Sales: Production and sales were basically balanced. It is worth noting that cobalt production was only 633 mt, down 49.6% YoY, possibly due to the prolonged downturn in cobalt prices. ③ Unit Price: Rising copper prices contributed to profit growth. ④ Cost: Cost control was strong, with overall costs remaining stable. ⑤ Lightly Equipped with Excellent Asset Quality. In Q1 2025, the company's net profit attributable to shareholders increased significantly both YoY and QoQ, mainly due to the rise in copper prices and the normalization of copper production. ① Production: In Q1 2025, the company's production of blister copper and copper anode/copper cathode/sulphuric acid was 10.97/3.50/271,400 mt respectively. Among them, the production of blister copper and copper anode, and sulphuric acid was basically flat YoY, while the production of copper cathode increased by 8% YoY. This was mainly because the production of copper cathode at Huaxin Mabende and Huaxin Hydrometallurgy, two hydrometallurgical smelters in the DRC, increased by 49% and 20% YoY respectively. The increase in production was due to the company's efforts to ensure power supply through multiple measures such as constructing PV power generation and diesel power generation facilities. The self-produced blister copper and copper anode (CNMC Luanshya + CNMC Nonferrous Mine + Chambishi Hydrometallurgy)/copper cathode (CNMC Luanshya + Chambishi Hydrometallurgy + Gambowe Mining) were 21,400/21,700 mt respectively, increasing by 22.4% and decreasing by 3.7% YoY respectively. The total self-produced copper ore was 43,000 mt, up 7.7% YoY. The increase in self-produced blister copper and copper anode production was mainly due to the 26.7% YoY increase in copper production at Chambishi Copper Mine of CNMC Nonferrous Mine, as the low base caused by the replacement of mine service providers in the same period last year affected production, which has now returned to normal this year. ② Unit Price: In Q1 2025, the prices of copper and cobalt were 77,300 yuan/mt and 170,000 yuan/mt respectively, changing by +11.3% and -17.1% YoY, and increasing by 2.4% and 4.6% QoQ respectively. The long-term contract TC for 2025 was $21.25/mt. The vast majority of the company's smelter raw materials come from copper concentrates locked in through long-term contracts. However, due to successful negotiations on freight sharing, the decline in some of the TC was offset, so the impact of the decline in smelting processing fees on the company was less than that on domestic companies. Core Highlights: ① Endogenous Growth: CNMC Africa Mining, CNMC Luanshya, and Chambishi Hydrometallurgy, subsidiaries of the company, will research and promote the following projects in the next 3-5 years: the expansion of the Chambishi Southeast Orebody, the new mine of CNMC Luanshya, the mining and beneficiation project of the Samba Mine, and the production resumptions of the Gambowe West Orebody and MSESA Orebody, indicating significant endogenous growth potential. ② Outward Mergers and Acquisitions: At the group level, to address horizontal competition issues, the DRC company and Deziwa Copper Mine are expected to be injected into the publicly listed firm. ③ Scarcity of High-Dividend Copper Targets. Risk Warnings: Continuous decline in smelting processing fees, decline in copper prices, and geopolitical risks. Guosen Securities commented on CNMC Mining in its research report, stating: Core Mines: In 2024, CNMC Africa Mining produced approximately 68,200 mt of copper anode, down about 11% YoY; CNMC Luanshya produced approximately 44,400 mt of copper cathode, up about 2% YoY, and 4,159 mt of copper anode, down about 47% YoY; Gambowe Mining produced approximately 34,400 mt of copper cathode, up about 4% YoY. High Dividend Payout Ratio: The company plans to distribute a dividend of 4.2893¢ per share, with a total dividend amount of approximately $167 million, accounting for 42% of the company's net profit attributable to shareholders in 2024. The company has maintained a dividend payout ratio of over 40% for four consecutive years since 2020, with its dividend payout ratio and dividend yield ranking among the leading levels in the industry. The company's captive mine is expected to gradually increase its annual copper production to approximately 300,000 mt in the medium and long term. Risk Warnings: Risk of mineral product selling prices not meeting expectations, risk of the company's project construction progress not meeting expectations, and risk of changes in policies related to mineral resources in overseas countries.