Tongguan Mine Construction announced that it recently received a bid-winning notification from Xingyao Icarus Limited, winning the bid for the mine construction and mining engineering of the Cuia-Mavoio copper mine in Uíge Province, Angola, with a contract value of approximately $230 million. The infrastructure construction period is 18 months, and the production period is 60 months. Regarding the project background, the Cuia-Mavoio copper mine is located in Uíge Province, Angola, approximately 300 kilometers from Luanda, and includes both open-pit and underground mining. According to information previously released by Angola's Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, the project has a total investment of $250 million, with $205 million in committed funding already secured, covering two exploration license areas (approximately 3,000 square kilometers and 7,000 square kilometers, respectively). Exploration began in 2010, with the first production phase targeting open-pit ore processing of 2,500 mt per day and a total mining capacity of 4,000 mt/day; the underground mine plans to commence in H2 2026.

Minsur, the world's second-largest refined tin producer, reported that its Pisco smelter in Peru produced 8,314 mt of refined tin in Q1 2026, down 2.9% YoY. The company attributed the slight decline in tin production to lower feed grades and reduced recovery rates at the smelter. Meanwhile, rising tin prices drove a 16.9% YoY increase in net revenue, effectively offsetting the impact of the production decline. Tin-in-concentrates production from the San Rafael underground mine fell 2.0% YoY to 6,096 mt due to lower recovery rates, but this was partially offset by a 3.3% increase in production from the B2 tailings dam. Total tin-in-concentrates production was basically flat YoY at 7,993 mt. The mill feed grade at the San Rafael mine remained stable at 2.40% Sn.

SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Last Friday evening, LME copper opened at $13,522.5/mt, fluctuated downward to $13,484.5/mt in early trading, then experienced wild swings reaching a high of $13,583/mt, before fluctuating downward to finally close at $13,535.5/mt, up 1.59%, with trading volume at 29,500 lots and open interest at 271,000 lots, down 1,154 lots from the previous trading day, indicating bears cutting positions. Last Friday evening, the most-traded SHFE copper 2606 contract opened at 104,500 yuan/mt, rose to 104,580 yuan/mt in early trading, then fluctuated downward to 103,690 yuan/mt, moved sideways near the end of the session to finally close at 104,200 yuan/mt, up 0.53%, with trading volume at 50,000 lots and open interest at 208,000 lots, down 1,584 lots from the previous trading day, indicating bears cutting positions.

On April 16, Ye Jianhua, Director and Supervisor of SMM's Industry Research Department, Feng Chundi, Expert of SMM's Industry Research Institute, and Wu Tao, SMM Overseas Marketing Manager for Copper and Tin, visited Mining Mineral Resources (MMR) for a field trip and exchange, where they received a warm welcome from MMR's leadership. During the exchange, MMR and SMM engaged in in-depth discussions on the current status of the strategic minor metal industry and cross-border supply chain cooperation. MMR has been deeply engaged in compliant mining of critical minerals for over 15 years, with a strategic focus on three key minerals — tin, tantalum, and tungsten. The company holds multiple mining licenses in mineral-rich regions of the DRC, with concentrated resource deployment and exceptional endowment. The enterprise strictly adheres to compliant mining, full-process traceability, and international operational standards, ensuring long-term stable and compliant mine operations. SMM has long been deeply engaged in non-ferrous and rare metals, with core coverage spanning price quotations, industry surveys, and market analysis, comprehensively empowering global mineral trade and industry chain integrated services. Leveraging their respective business strengths, both parties exchanged practical experience on ex-China mineral development, compliance system building, raw material circulation coordination, and industry development trends, laying a solid foundation for subsequent industrial synergy and resource collaboration. Mining Mineral Resources (MMR) Overview Mining Mineral Resources (MMR) has been deeply engaged in compliant mining of critical minerals for over 15 years, with a core focus on the 3T strategic minerals (tin, tantalum, and tungsten). The company holds a portfolio of multiple mining licenses in mineral-rich regions of the DRC: tin (14 licenses covering 2,800 sq km), tantalum (6 licenses covering 400 sq km), and tungsten (1 license covering 300 sq km). The company upholds compliant procurement, full traceability, and international standard compliance systems, building a solid foundation for business operations. Key Tin Producer in Africa • 11 mechanized mines (including open-pit and underground mines) • Annual tin concentrates capacity: 10,000 mt Annual trading volume: 6,500 mt; annual mechanized mining production: 3,500 mt. Mechanized Mining Operations 8 beneficiation plant areas with a combined feed capacity of over 1,500 mt per hour; monthly tin concentrates production of 300 mt; creating employment opportunities and empowering inclusive community development. Smelting Production and Global Supply LME Grade A tin equivalent; Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) certified smelter; annual refined tin capacity: 4,500 mt. Tantalum Mining Operations The only mechanized tantalum ore beneficiation plant in the DRC; capacity: 20 mt per year of high-grade tantalum concentrates (grade 30% and above); equipped with modern laboratory detection and quality assay facilities. Ore-to-Alloy Entire Industry Chain Lead-free and tin-lead solder alloys, available in bars, wires, electrodes, and casting ingots. The only enterprise in Africa with a complete ore-to-alloy entire industry chain. Corporate Social Responsibility MMR is well aware of its significant social responsibility to the communities in the mining areas. The corporate social responsibility system is built on four core pillars: healthcare, education development, infrastructure improvement, and entrepreneurship empowerment. Scheduled to be held on October 13-14, 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia. Welcome to join us~ Conference Contact : Wu Tao: 18270916376 jennywu@smm.cn

CoreX Holding completed the acquisition of BHP's Carajás copper mine assets in Brazil for a total consideration of $465 million ($240 million paid at closing, with the remaining $225 million as contingent consideration). The assets include an operating underground mine, a processing plant, and exploration projects, covering a total area of approximately 1,800 square kilometers, and have been consolidated and rebranded as "CoreX Copper Brazil." This transaction was limited to equity and brand changes. Since the closing on April 2, 2026, operations, contracts, permits, and partnerships in Brazil have remained unchanged.

In Q1 2026, Vale of Brazil maintained strong production and sales momentum, with multiple core assets setting historical records and overall operational performance being both robust and groundbreaking. All three major business segments — iron ore, copper, and nickel — achieved comprehensive growth. Iron ore sales reached the highest Q1 level since 2018, copper production hit the best Q1 result since 2017, and nickel production was the strongest Q1 performance since 2020. I. Iron Ore Business: Accelerated Capacity Release with Growth in Both Production and Sales Iron ore production reached 69.7 million mt, up 3% YoY. The growth was primarily driven by record single-quarter output at the S11D and Brucutu mines, combined with incremental capacity release from the continued ramp-up of the Capanema project and the Vargem Grande 1 (VGR1) plant. Iron ore sales totaled 68.7 million mt, up 4% YoY, slightly outpacing production growth. II. Copper Business: Multi-Site Synergies Driving a New Quarterly High in Nearly 9 Years Copper production reached 102,300 mt, up 13% YoY. The Salobo Phase III expansion reached full production, achieving stable output at full capacity; the Sossego operating area completed an intelligent ore supply system upgrade, improving the overall mining and processing recovery rate by 2.3 percentage points; and the Voisey's Bay polymetallic mine's copper system operated continuously without failure for over 90 days, contributing stable incremental output. Q1 copper production was the highest Q1 figure since 2017, exceeding the 2022 peak by 7.6%, marking Vale's copper assets entering a mature phase of scaled and intelligent operations. III. Nickel Business: Smelting Breakthroughs Driving the Best Quarterly Performance in 4 Years Nickel production reached 49,300 mt, up 12% YoY, the highest Q1 level since 2020, highlighting the enhanced resilience of the vertically integrated nickel industry chain. The Onça Puma No. 2 furnace, commissioned in Q4 2025, achieved its first full-cycle full-capacity operation in Q1 2026; the Voisey's Bay underground mine maintained stable supply; and the Long Harbour nickel refinery set a new historical production record for the quarter.