Recently, L&F signed a lithium iron phosphate cathode material supply agreement with Samsung SDI, with a contract value of approximately 1.6 trillion Korean Won. The supply period under the agreement is from 2027 to 2029. It is noteworthy that L&F, as a South Korean battery material company, claims to be the first non-Chinese company to invest in LFP cathode material production. It is currently constructing an LFP production line with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons. The first phase, planned to have an annual capacity of 30,000 tons, is scheduled for completion in April 2026, with large-scale mass production expected to begin as early as the third quarter of 2026.

Australian rare earth producer Lynas announced that its Malaysia plant had successfully produced samarium oxide, making it the only producer outside China capable of separating the three heavy rare earth materials samarium, terbium, and dysprosium. The company is expected to expand its product line to include gadolinium, yttrium, and lutetium over the next two years, and to add varieties such as europium and holmium depending on returns. Recently, Lynas signed a $96 million rare earth supply memorandum of understanding with the US Department of Defense, and reached a supply agreement with Japan's JARE through 2038. Both deals set the lowest price for Pr-Nd at $110/kg. The company's rare earth oxide production reached 6,375 mt in H2 2025, up 19% YoY.

On the 17th, the U.S. government officially confirmed that Tesla is the partner in a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery supply agreement worth approximately KRW 6 trillion ($4.3 billion) signed by LG Energy Solution in July last year.

Canadian Solar Inc. announced that e-STORAGE, its energy storage solutions business subsidiary, had signed a supply agreement with a major utility outside China to provide BESS for an energy storage project with a scale of approximately 500 MW/2,493 MWh (DC). The project will support rapidly growing electricity demand from data centers and enhance the resilience and reliability of the regional power grid. Under the agreement, e-STORAGE will supply approximately 500 SolBank 3.0 ESS units for the project. Shipments are expected to begin in March 2027 and be completed by July of the same year.

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U.S. recycling technology firm Nth Cycle has signed a 10-year metal supply agreement with commodity trader Trafigura worth about $1.1 billion. The partnership will recover metals such as copper and nickel from scrap and industrial waste using electrochemical refining technology. Analysts say such collaborations could significantly expand secondary copper supply.

POSCO Future M, the battery materials unit of South Korea's POSCO Holdings, announced that it had signed a supply agreement for artificial graphite anode material used in lithium-ion batteries. The contract is worth KRW 1,014,945,300,000 (approximately $675 million). The counterparty is a global automaker, and the contract term runs from October 1, 2027 to September 30, 2032.

Electra Battery Materials (NASDAQ, TSXV: ELBM) has signed a fresh deal with LG Energy Solution that would see the company supply battery-grade cobalt to the South Korean firm through at least 2029. The parties on Tuesday signed a new term sheet outlining Electra’s commitment to supplying 60% of the cobalt sulfates produced at its Ontario refinery, which is currently under construction. The supply agreement is valid through 2029, plus a three-year extension option. This agreement follows an initial three-year agreement signed in 2022 and the subsequent five-year extension announced in July 2023, reflecting Electra’s updated production timelines under the contract.

Lynas Rare Earths has amended its supply agreement with Japan Australia Rare Earths (JARE). The revised agreement secures 5,000 tonnes of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) from Lynas annually, while JARE commits to purchasing 50% of Lynas's annual production of heavy rare earths, such as dysprosium and terbium. The total rare earth oxides covered by the agreement are expected to exceed 7,200 tonnes per year. Regarding pricing: A price floor of USD 110 per kilogram is established for the committed 5,000-tonne volume. If the market price exceeds USD 150 per kilogram, JARE will receive 30% of the excess amount over USD 150, subject to an annual cap of USD 10 million

Canadian battery materials company Electra Battery Materials has updated and signed a binding long-term cobalt supply agreement with global lithium-ion battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution, reaffirming their continued partnership. Under the new agreement, LG Energy Solution will secure 60% of the output from Electra’s cobalt sulfate refinery in Ontario, Canada, through 2029, with an option to extend the contract to 2032. The remaining approximately 40% of capacity remains uncommitted, providing Electra with greater flexibility to capture potential upside during future pricing cycles. The refinery, currently under construction, is set to become North America’s first battery-grade cobalt sulfate facility.