Valhalla Metals announced that it has resumed resource expansion drilling at its Sun critical and precious metals project in northwestern Alaska. Located at the eastern end of the Ambler Mining District, the project hosts high-grade copper-zinc-lead-silver-gold volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralisation. The 2026 programme will focus on testing strike and depth extensions of the Main Sun and SW Sun deposits. According to a 2021 resource estimate, the Sun project contains 1.71 million tonnes of indicated resources grading 4.32% zinc, 1.48% copper and 1.11% lead, containing approximately 163 million pounds of zinc. It also hosts 9.02 million tonnes of inferred resources grading 4.18% zinc, 1.21% copper and 1.46% lead, containing about 831.3 million pounds of zinc. Previous step-out drilling in 2023 returned 21.4 metres grading 11.03% zinc, 1.31% copper and 3.23% lead, highlighting strong resource expansion potential. Valhalla is also conducting reconnaissance work at the Smucker project ahead of planned drilling in 2027. Smucker hosts a historical resource of 11.84 million tonnes grading 6.6% zinc, 0.94% copper and 2.3% lead. The company acquired full ownership of the core claims from Teck Resources in June, paving the way for the first drilling at the project since 1982.

According to a report by Globe and Mail, cited by Mining.com, the Canadian government would invest hundreds of millions of dollars to support Teck Resources in building its Trail metal facility in British Columbia to expand germanium production and strengthen the North American critical minerals supply chain. The report, citing people familiar with the matter, said the funding would come from Natural Resources Canada, the Canada Growth Fund, and Export Development Canada (EDC). According to information released by Natural Resources Canada on July 3, Minister Tim Hodgson will deliver an important speech on critical minerals. A spokesperson for the department did not respond to a request for comment. Largest Producer Vancouver-based Teck is the largest germanium producer in North America, recovering this mineral from zinc ores in Alaska. The company is the only enterprise in Canada supplying germanium oxide to the US. Germanium is essential for national defense equipment, semiconductors, and chip manufacturing. Domestic production and processing capacity in the US is limited, making it necessary to secure new sources of supply. In May, Titan Mining said it was evaluating the possibility of collaborating with Teck to recover germanium from US zinc mines. Under a company agreement signed on May 14, Titan and Teck plan to recover 13 mt of germanium per year from Titan's Empire State zinc mine in New York State. Titan CEO Rita Adiani disclosed on Tuesday that the current germanium price in the US is $6,000/kg. Specialty Metals Germanium is a specialty metal produced at Teck’s Trail complex, alongside primary products lead and zinc, as well as indium and antimony. The facility is the world’s largest integrated lead and zinc smelter. With little to no germanium production domestically, securing its supply has become a critical issue for the US and other Western countries.

Titan Mining has reported district-wide germanium enrichment across its Empire State Mines (ESM) zinc operation in New York, highlighting a potentially significant by-product opportunity within the Balmat-Edwards zinc system. Reconnaissance sampling from multiple underground ore bodies and historic tailings facilities confirmed elevated germanium values throughout the district, with assays reaching 85.6 ppm Ge at the Mud Pond Main zone and 49.7 ppm Ge at the New Fold zone. Historic tailings samples returned grades ranging from 18.1 ppm to 44.7 ppm Ge. The company is currently working with Teck Resources’ Trail Operations to evaluate germanium recovery from existing processing streams. Preliminary testing indicates that germanium grades increase from approximately 21 g/t in plant feed to around 77 g/t in certain pre-flotation streams, suggesting natural concentration within the milling circuit. Titan estimates a potential annual germanium production of approximately 13,000 kg. Based on a germanium price assumption of US$6,000/kg, the project could generate roughly US$78 million in annual by-product revenue, significantly enhancing the economics of the Empire State zinc operation.

SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Overnight, LME copper opened at $13,317/mt, moved sideways after the opening before dipping to a low of $13,168/mt, then the center rose to a high of $13,348/mt, and finally closed at $13,259/mt, down 0.68%, with trading volume at 18,000 lots, a decrease of 809 lots from the previous trading day; open interest stood at 316,000 lots, a decrease of 4,795 lots from the previous trading day, with the overall movement mainly characterized by bulls reducing positions. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE copper 2604 contract opened at 102,670 yuan/mt, fluctuated downward after the opening to a low of 101,780 yuan/mt, then the center rose to a high of 102,880 yuan/mt, and finally closed at 102,550 yuan/mt, down 0.15%, with trading volume at 55,000 lots, a decrease of 51,000 lots from the previous trading day; open interest stood at 186,000 lots, an increase of 1,437 lots from the previous trading day, with the overall movement mainly characterized by bears adding positions.

Teck Resources warned that rising diesel and freight costs could increase spending at its Chilean copper mining operations during Q2, as global supply tightened. The Canadian mining company said its Chilean operations relied on imported diesel and faced higher fuel and transportation costs due to supply disruptions related to the Strait of Hormuz, although no severe shortages were expected. "We expect freight costs to continue rising in Q2 2026, with explosives costs also increasing accordingly. We will continue to closely monitor developments, such as potential product export bans by major supplying countries, which could further disrupt the market," the company said. The warning highlighted broader supply chain pressures and the risk that government intervention could tighten metals markets, potentially prompting enterprises and strategic stockpiling of copper and zinc as demand strengthened. Alongside the cost warning, the company reported strong Q1 results that exceeded analyst expectations. This was primarily driven by higher copper prices, record sales, and increased production at its flagship mine, Quebrada Blanca (QB), in northern Chile. Production at the newly expanded mine grew 31.2% to 55,500 mt, compared with just 42,300 mt a year earlier when output was constrained by prolonged shutdowns. Despite a maintenance shutdown at the start of the year, performance remained on par with the previous quarter. Total copper production in Q1 reached 140,000 mt, compared with 106,100 mt in the same period last year. The company still plans to produce 455,000 to 530,000 mt in 2026 and 505,000 to 580,000 mt in 2027, while 2025 production is expected to be 453,500 mt, with the QB project expected to contribute 200,000 to 235,000 mt next year. Driven by growing power demand from data centers, artificial intelligence, and national defense, as well as expanding investment in power grid and electronic infrastructure, global copper demand is expected to surge 50% by 2040, benefiting Teck and its peers. Concentrates zinc production fell to 120,300 mt, a decrease of 17,000 mt from the same period last year. (Wenhua Consolidated)

SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Overnight, LME copper opened at $13,237.5/mt, touched a low of $13,235/mt early in the session before the center fluctuated upward, reached a high of $13,423.5/mt before the center moved down, and finally closed at $13,310/mt, down 1.19%, with trading volume at 22,000 lots and open interest at 276,000 lots, an increase of 1,083 lots from the previous trading day, indicating bears adding positions. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE copper 2606 contract opened at 102,820 yuan/mt, touched a low of 102,620 yuan/mt early in the session, then the center rose to a high of 103,620 yuan/mt, and finally edged down to close at 103,170 yuan/mt, up 0.38%, with trading volume at 47,000 lots and open interest at 217,000 lots, a decrease of 324 lots from the previous trading day, indicating bears reducing positions.

On March 27, the 2026 SMM (21st) Lead & Zinc Conference and Industry Expo, organized by SMM, wrapped up successfully at Howard Johnson Agile Plaza in Chengdu, Sichuan!

[Frequent Supply Disruptions; Imported TCs Continued to Decline]: Weekly data showed that the average weekly TC for SMM Zn50 domestic remained flat at 1,550 yuan/mt in metal content, while the SMM Imported Zinc Concentrate Index fell by $8.37/dmt MoM to $15.38/dmt...

[2026 Zinc Concentrates Benchmark Released] It was reported that the market heard this week that Teck Resources, a Canadian mining company, and a South Korean zinc company agreed on a 2026 benchmark processing fee for imported zinc concentrates of $85/dmt, a slight rebound from $80/dmt in 2025, while raising charges for silver and germanium after prices for the two metals surged.

[SMM Analysis:Overview of Q4 Copper Production of the Top 20 Global Mining Companies in 2025] According to SMM statistics, copper production by the world's top 20 mining companies in the fourth quarter of 2025 stood at 3,526 kt, a 2.1% increase quarter-on-quarter but a 10.5% decrease year-on-year.