According to data from China Customs: Combined for January–February 2026, China imported 265,100 metric tons of high-carbon ferrochrome in total, a year-on-year decline of 51.6%. Breakdown by origin: imports from South Africa were 40,700 metric tons, down 83.3% year-on-year; imports from Kazakhstan were 158,400 metric tons, down 19.7% year-on-year.

[Sinomine Resource Group Engages with the Zimbabwean Government to Restart Its Lithium Export Business] Sinomine Resource Group confirmed that, after this African country recently suspended shipments of lithium concentrates, the company had been actively engaging with Zimbabwean government authorities to restart its lithium export business. The Chinese miner disclosed this development on Friday in response to an investor inquiry via the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s official interactive platform. These talks came at a critical time for both Sinomine Resource Group and Zimbabwe. Lithium remained a sought-after mineral because of its essential role in producing batteries used in EVs and renewable energy storage systems. Zimbabwe, which holds substantial lithium reserves, had continued tightening its regulatory framework to ensure more value addition remained in China, rather than allowing the export of raw ore or materials that had undergone only preliminary processing. Sinomine Resource Group said in a statement that it was currently working closely with Zimbabwean government authorities on a new export approval application. The company stressed that the dialogue remained ongoing and formed part of its broader efforts to align with the country’s latest policies and compliance requirements. Although there was no clear timetable yet for when exports would resume, the engagement sent a positive signal that efforts were being made to resolve the issue. Source: https://www.chemanalyst.com/ [Vulcan Energy Achieves Drilling and Permitting Milestones at Its Geothermal Lithium Project in Germany] The company had officially broken ground at the Trappelberg drilling site in the Rohrbach area near Landau. This was Vulcan’s second drilling site after Schleidberg, where the company had completed the drilling and testing of its first geothermal well. Preparatory work at Trappelberg had begun to support the start of drilling in H2 2026. At present, a deep groundwater monitoring well had been completed to ensure the protection of near-surface aquifers during construction and drilling operations. Schleidberg and Trappelberg were 2 of the 5 new drilling sites that Vulcan would develop in the region. Thorsten Weimann, Chief Development Officer and Managing Director of Vulcan Energie Ressourcen GmbH, said: “The groundbreaking ceremony at Trappelberg marks an important step forward in the further development of our Lionheart project. With this new drilling site, we are further developing the geothermal reservoir and laying the foundation for climate-neutral heating in the region and sustainable lithium production in Europe.” Source: https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/ [Core Lithium’s Finniss Project Secures a Strategic Financing Package of AUD 290 million] The fundamentals of global battery demand were reshaping investment strategies in the critical minerals sector, placing Australia’s lithium industry at a critical turning point. The combined effects of supply chain diversification needs, advances in energy storage technology, and geopolitical factors have created an environment in which strategic positioning determines the long-term value creation potential of mining. In addition, the restart of Core Lithium's Finniss project, backed by A$290 million, demonstrates how well-developed critical minerals strategies can unlock previously stalled projects through innovative financing structures. Against this backdrop, complex financing structures and operational optimization approaches have become key differentiators for projects seeking to capture the evolving market dynamics of the current lithium investment cycle. The sophisticated financing structure underpinning the restart of Core Lithium's Finniss project shows that contemporary mining finance has evolved beyond traditional debt-and-equity models into a strategic consortium model that disperses risk while maximizing operational synergies. Moreover, this financing approach reflects a broader trend across the mining sector. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [Copper, Cobalt, and Lithium Mines: US Critical Minerals Growth] In early 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with senior US officials including Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, received representatives from 54 countries and the European Commission at the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting. The US announced new bilateral frameworks, financing initiatives exceeding $30 billion, and launched the Forum for Resource and Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), aimed at building secure, diversified, and resilient critical minerals supply chains. Initiatives such as the Orion-Glencore memorandum of understanding and "Project Vault" indicate the US government's commitment to incentivizing private-sector investment and ensuring a stable and reliable supply of cobalt, copper, and other strategic materials, including those from the DRC. Source: https://miningdigital.com/ [Atlantic Lithium's Ewoyaa Project Financing Secures a Strategic Investment of $16.4 million] The global critical minerals landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and institutional capital allocation strategies have moved beyond traditional mining investment models. Pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and strategic investors now require more sophisticated financing structures to align long-term capital commitments with project de-risking milestones. This shift indicates the growing maturity of financing in the resources sector, which is moving away from speculative early-stage funding toward a more infrastructure-like investment approach that places greater emphasis on predictable returns rather than commodity price speculation. Contemporary lithium project development reflects this evolution, with financing solutions from diversified funding sources incorporating conditional capital structures, local ownership requirements, and ESG compliance frameworks. The combination of milestone-based warrant instruments, strategic partnership agreements, and domestic exchange listings has created an integrated financing ecosystem that balances capital efficiency with political and economic considerations. In addition, these innovations in the lithium industry are continuing to reshape the investment landscape. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/

Workers at Glencore’s Townsville copper refinery in Queensland are planning a strike after nearly a year of unsuccessful wage negotiations. The industrial action could disrupt refinery operations and affect copper supply chains. Analysts say labor disputes add further uncertainty to the global copper market.

The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) stated that workers at a copper refinery in North Queensland are planning to go on strike due to nearly a year of unsuccessful negotiations with Glencore over pay and working conditions. The union said that if the labor negotiations scheduled for Thursday still fail to address workers' demands, employees at the Townsville refinery will begin striking from Friday.

According to foreign media reports, Glencore has proposed supporting Kazakh entrepreneur Shakhmurat Mutalip's $1.4 billion bid to acquire a 40% stake in Eurasian Resources Group.

News on February 24, 2026: Glencore announced on February 17, 2026, that its Lion Smelter located in Steelpoort, Limpopo Province, successfully completed the first phase of ferrochrome production on February 16, 2026, following the smooth restart of 50% of its capacity.

According to reports, Glencore has agreed to purchase approximately 2,000 metric tons of cobalt in batches in 2026 from industry veteran Rami Weisfisch, with a total value of nearly $115 million at current prices. The material is mainly stored in Europe and North America and is expected to be shipped to the United States for inclusion in its strategic stockpiling program for critical minerals, aimed at reducing reliance on China in the supply and processing of key metals. The transaction is also seen as marking the conclusion of Weisfisch’s five-decade career in the cobalt industry.

According to foreign media reports, Glencore has been purchasing Russian copper on the LME and plans to ship it to China. According to LME data, in the past few trading days, the LME Rotterdam delivery warehouse has received delivery requests for approximately 15,000 mt of Russian copper. This move will exacerbate the further depletion of LME inventories, deepening the LME backwardation structure.

Glencore has been buying Russian copper on the LME and plans to deliver it into China.In the past three trading sessions there have been requests for delivery of about 15,000 tons of copper from LME warehouses in Rotterdam, according to exchange data, drawing down available exchange inventories to the lowest in a year. SMM thinks this activity will decrease the inventories in LME and intensify the Backwardation structure of LME.

It is reported that Glencore, a global commodity giant, is preparing for a potential major merger by transferring overseas assets to its Australian subsidiary through a large-scale restructuring. The restructuring involves coal mining operations in Canada, South Africa, and Colombia, as well as copper resources in Argentina and manganese, chromium, and vanadium operations in South Africa. Previously, Glencore had publicly discussed the possibility of spinning off its coal division and had attempted merger negotiations with Rio Tinto. This restructuring will consolidate most of Glencore's assets onto one platform, streamlining the structure of its copper assets and preparing for future transactions. Ben Cleary, a portfolio manager, stated that Glencore appears to be ready for restructuring.