In 2026, the European Critical Raw Materials Centre (ECRMC) will be officially launched. This initiative is one of the solutions to accelerate the development of an independent supply chain, preventing the situation of “a single country supplying more than 65% of demand”. The center will have three main functions: monitoring and assessing the raw materials demand of member countries, conducting joint procurement on behalf of members, and stockpiling and delivering inventory when necessary. ECRMC, as some have commented as a “Tinder for metals,” will work with stakeholders to design a minimum pricing mechanism and framework. The first joint purchasing activity will begin in March 2026 through a platform that connects suppliers and purchasers.

Neo Performance Materials of Canada and Cyclic Materials announced that they have reached a rare earth recycling agreement. Neo will supply Cyclic with magnet production scrap from its European plants, which Cyclic will recycle into mixed rare earth oxides for Neo to manufacture alloys and magnets. This move aligns with the objectives of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and enhances rare earth processing and recycling capacity. Neo operates a 2,000 mt/year magnet facility in Estonia and is expected to expand it to 5,000 mt/year. Cyclic is building a recycling campus in South Carolina, with initial capacity of 2,000 mt/year for magnet processing and 600 mt/year for mixed rare earth oxides, which will increase to 6,000 mt/year and 1,800 mt/year, respectively, after expansion.

The global strategic resource reserve system is undergoing rapid restructuring, and a resource security battle centered on critical minerals has quietly begun.

When Trump announced the launch of a $12 billion "Gold Reserve Plan" at the White House to procure and stockpile critical minerals such as rare earths, gallium, and cobalt for manufacturers, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA) was also studying the inclusion of copper concentrates in the national reserves. The global strategic resource reserve system is undergoing rapid restructuring, and a resource security battle centered on critical minerals has quietly begun. In early February 2026, the world's two largest economies almost simultaneously announced strategic reserve plans for critical minerals. The Trump administration officially launched a $12 billion critical mineral reserve project named the "Gold Reserve Plan." This plan aims to establish a 60-day emergency mineral reserve, utilizing $10 billion in loans from the US Export-Import Bank and approximately $2 billion in private capital to procure and stockpile critical mineral resources such as rare earths, gallium, and cobalt. From the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act setting clear recycling rate targets to the US’s tax incentive policies, a global policy network covering legislation, subsidies, and standards is taking shape. For China, the recycling industry of rare and precious metals is not only a vital component of resource security but also a key link in achieving the "dual carbon" goals and ensuring supply chain autonomy and control.

Australia's Alpha HPA has broken ground on the second phase of what is planned to be the world's largest single-site ultra-high-purity alumina refinery. Located on a 10-hectare site in Gladstone, Australia, the project will utilize proprietary licensed solvent extraction and refining technology to produce alumina products with purity levels as high as 99.99% in commercial quantities, supplying critical raw materials for global industries such as lithium batteries, LED lighting, and semiconductor manufacturing. It is reported that the second phase will build upon the established first-phase operations. The company's initial facilities, already housed in a smaller building at the site, have been producing a range of high-purity alumina and aluminum products on a scaled basis.

[Elevra and Mangrove Lithium Sign Non-Binding MOU for Spodumene Concentrates Offtake] North American lithium producer Elevra Lithium Limited ("Elevra") is pleased to announce the signing of a non-binding memorandum of understanding to supply spodumene concentrates produced by NAL to Mangrove Lithium ("Mangrove"). Elevra and Mangrove may enter into a binding definitive agreement in the future, subject to Mangrove reaching a final investment decision on the construction of its lithium conversion facility by June 2027 and the parties agreeing on the final terms of the agreement. Under the terms of the non-binding MOU, Elevra and Mangrove intend to negotiate a definitive agreement whereby Elevra would supply Mangrove with up to 144,000 mt of spodumene concentrates annually at market-related prices, with floor and ceiling prices, ensuring NAL generates positive cash flow at any stage of the pricing cycle. The proposed supply has an initial term of five years, commencing in 2028, and is expected to ramp up to the full annual volume of 144,000 mt by 2030, representing approximately 46% of projected sales. Mangrove plans to process the spodumene concentrates into battery-grade lithium hydroxide in Eastern Canada to support the establishment of a resilient domestic battery supply chain in Canada. Mangrove's designed annual capacity is 20,000 mt of battery-grade lithium, equivalent to the demand for 500,000 EVs. Source: https://news.smm.cn/ [Albemarle Announces Idling of Kemerton Lithium Hydroxide Processing Plant on February 11 Local Time] Albemarle decided to immediately idle and place into a state of care and maintenance the operational Train 1 production line at its Kemerton plant in Western Australia. This represents a further contraction following the idling of Train 2 in 2024 and the halting of the Train 3 and 4 expansion projects. Although lithium prices have recovered recently, the levels are not enough to support the cost pressures associated with hard-rock lithium conversion operations in the West. This move aims to improve financial flexibility and preserve future options. It is expected to have an accretive effect on adjusted EBITDA starting from Q2 2026, without affecting the sales target for the year, as customer demand will be met through other channels. Albemarle emphasized that its upstream lithium mine interests and exploration rights in Australia, such as Greenbushes and Wodgina, remain unaffected and are still a strategic core. Source: https://www.albemarle.com [Ultra-Thin, Compact Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery "EnerCera" Supports Tohoku University's Tsunami Balloon Project Demonstration Experiment] NGK Insulators, Ltd. (hereinafter "NGK") announced that it supported the demonstration experiment for Tohoku University's tsunami balloon project by manufacturing and supplying its ultra-thin, compact lithium-ion rechargeable battery, EnerCera®. The project aims to establish a new disaster prevention system that automatically deploys balloon-type evacuation markers during tsunamis, visually indicating the locations of tsunami evacuation facilities, such as evacuation towers and evacuation buildings, from the air. EnerCera powers the light sources installed in the balloons, making the evacuation sites clearly visible at night or under poor visibility conditions. In the demonstration experiment, EnerCera was used as the power source for the balloon-type evacuation marker lighting unit, which activated immediately after a tsunami. The experiment verified whether sufficient brightness was achieved when the balloons were deployed and whether the system met practical usage requirements. EnerCera combines a thin and lightweight design with high output and excellent environmental resistance, enabling stable operation in outdoor environments. By enabling wireless lighting control, the system is expected to enhance the visibility of tsunami evacuation facilities at night and help prevent evacuation delays. The Tsunami Balloon Project is an initiative led by a technical team from Tohoku University, aiming to develop a system that automatically releases balloons into the air upon receiving disaster information, such as tsunami warnings and emergency earthquake alerts, issued via the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System "Michibiki". In the demonstration experiment, a series of operational tests were conducted: upon receiving a tsunami warning (test signal), gas was rapidly injected into the balloon, inflating it to a diameter of approximately 2 meters and raising it to a height of about 40 meters within approximately 2 to 3 minutes. The balloon is marked with a person pictogram, allowing people to identify the evacuation facility simply by looking up at the sky. To improve nighttime visibility, EnerCera was integrated as the light source. Source: https://www.mynewsdesk.com/ ["Sacrifice Zone" or a Clean Energy Future? EU Court Considers Portuguese Lithium Mine Project] The risks in this case escalated further after EU officials refused in November to revoke the "strategic" status of the Barroso mine. A long-standing controversy over lithium mining in northern Portugal has reached the European Union's highest court. Environmental and community organizations have filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Justice against the European Commission's decision to grant the Barroso lithium project "strategic" status. The residents' association "United Defense Association of the Barroso Valley" and the environmental law organization ClientEarth raised objections on Thursday, February 5, arguing that the Commission failed to reassess the project after new evidence emerged regarding environmental, social, and safety risks. The core dispute in this case revolves around the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act of 2024. Projects designated as "strategic" gain fast-track access to permitting processes, financing channels, and the supply of raw materials for green products such as EVs and batteries. Source: https://www.euronews.com/ [How Argentina's Lithium and Uranium Boom Could Undermine Its Energy Sovereignty] Argentina possesses abundant critical natural resources, the demand for which is increasingly growing as the global energy transition continues to accelerate. However, although Argentina's potential geopolitical advantages have opened new avenues for economic growth, as world superpowers fiercely compete for the country's lithium and uranium resources, this may also entail significant trade-offs in energy sovereignty. The Argentine economy has finally seen a rebound after decades of painful recession. This shift is largely attributed to the radical austerity policies implemented by the right-wing President Javier Milei, elected in 2023. While Milei's aggressive financial reforms have had some positive effects on the economy, his approach has been highly controversial both domestically and internationally. Part of Milei's strategy involves forming a close alliance with the Trump administration. As part of this shift, he has shown a new willingness to cooperate with the US and other international partners in new nuclear energy plans. Milei declared his country an "unconditional ally of the US," with Argentina becoming the first partner country to sign the Trump administration's "Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technologies" initiative. Source: https://oilprice.com/

Brazil seeks to avoid signing exclusive agreements on critical minerals with other countries, instead maintaining an open stance and pursuing partnerships with various nations. Recently, the U.S. government disclosed details of "Project Vault" (PV), an initiative led by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) aimed at formulating a strategy to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals. The EXIM Board approved up to $10 billion in direct loans for PV, more than double the largest financing amount in the bank's history. PV is designed to shield U.S. domestic manufacturers from supply shocks, expand the production and processing of critical raw materials in the U.S., and fundamentally improve the state of the U.S. critical minerals industry.

[SMM Breaking News: Brazil Not Seeking Exclusive Critical Minerals Agreements] Brazil, in terms of critical minerals cooperation, does not seek to sign exclusive agreements with other countries but adopts an open stance, actively pursuing partnerships with various nations. Recently, the US government disclosed specific details of "Project Vault" (PV). This initiative, led by the US Export-Import Bank (EXIM), aims to formulate a strategy to secure the supply of critical minerals within the US. The EXIM board has approved up to $10 billion in direct loans for PV, an amount more than double the largest financing in the bank's history. Project Vault is dedicated to protecting domestic US manufacturers from supply shocks, promoting the expansion of production and processing scale for critical raw materials in the US, and fundamentally improving the overall condition of the US critical minerals industry.

9th Feburary 2026: According to SMM statistics, in January 2026, overseas metallurgical-grade alumina production decreased by 3.17% month-on-month and increased by 3.42% year-on-year; the average operating rate of overseas alumina enterprises edged down 0.04 percentage points month-on-month to 79.37%, a year-on-year decrease of 1.10 percentage points. Alumina production saw both increases and decreases during the month. By region: Indonesia: According to SMM research, PT Kalimantan Alumina Nusantara (KAN), approximately 80%-owned by Press Metal Group, is constructing an alumina refinery with an annual capacity of 1–1.2 million tonnes in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The project is expected to gradually commence production in late 2026 or early 2027. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s bauxite quota has not been updated for the time being and is only sufficient to support the country’s existing 7 million tonnes of alumina operating capacity. Taking into account the newly added alumina production capacity totalling 2 million tonnes, bauxite demand stands at approximately 24 million tonnes, exceeding the bauxite quota of 18 million tonnes. The tight supply of bauxite at the raw material end will affect the ramp-up of new production capacity. SMM will continue to monitor bauxite supply and alumina production. Middle East: Chuangyuan Metal’s “Alumina—Aluminium Smelting—Power Plant—Aluminium Deep Processing” integrated green and low-carbon aluminium industrial park project in Saudi Arabia is scheduled to begin construction by the end of 2026. Phase I of the project plans to build 500,000 tonnes of aluminium smelting capacity. The project is expected to have a construction period of 24 months and commence production before the end of 2028. Saudi Arabia currently has only one alumina refinery in operation, with an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes. Apart from meeting the production needs of its associated aluminium smelter, the surplus is mainly exported to neighbouring countries. With the commissioning of Chuangyuan’s aluminium smelting project, the trade flow of alumina in the Saudi region is set to change. Africa: During the month, Ghana completed the review of the proposal for its first large-scale alumina refinery project. The project aims to change the country’s long history of exporting bauxite raw materials and importing high-cost finished products. By constructing a refinery, it will directly supply alumina to the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), laying the foundation for the downstream aluminium manufacturing industry and driving the development of related industrial clusters. The project is expected to commence in 2026, with a target to restore VALCO’s annual capacity to over 200,000 tonnes by the end of 2028. United States: On January 15, the United States invested $450 million to rescue its last and only domestic alumina refinery and build a complete gallium supply chain. This strategic initiative aims to secure the supply of critical raw materials needed for the defence, aerospace, and high-tech sectors. The refinery will process imported Jamaican bauxite into alumina, targeting an annual output of over 1 million tonnes of alumina, which would meet nearly 40% of U.S. demand. At the same time, the investment will be used to construct a new gallium extraction production line, with a planned capacity of up to 50 tonnes of gallium per year. Outlook for February 2026: Overseas metallurgical-grade alumina production is expected to decrease by 10.95% month-on-month and increase by 1.34% year-on-year; the operating rate is expected to be approximately 78.11%, down 0.01 percentage points month-on-month and down 2.84 percentage points year-on-year. The main reasons are the fewer days in February and the fact that some new production capacity is still in the ramp-up stage, leading to a decline in the operating rate.

SMM7月14日讯： 金属市场方面: 截至午间收盘，内盘基本金属近全线下行，沪铝跌1.76%，沪铜跌0.15%，沪镍跌0.18%。沪铅跌0.29%、沪锌跌0.89%，沪锡涨0.37%。 此外，铸造铝主连期货跌1.35%，氧化铝主连跌1.14%。碳酸锂涨3.43%，工业硅跌0.12%。多晶硅跌0.82%。 黑色系多飘绿，铁矿微涨，螺纹、热卷分别跌0.22%、0.18%。不锈钢跌0.43%。双焦方面：焦煤跌0.16%，焦炭涨0.66%。 外盘金属方面，截至11:40分，LME金属涨跌互现，伦铝跌0.94%。伦镍涨0.18%。伦锌跌0.07%。伦锡涨0.36%。伦铅跌0.3%。伦铜涨0.33%。 贵金属方面，截至11:40分，COMEX黄金涨0.23%，COMEX白银涨0.58%；国内方面，沪金涨0.66%；沪银涨2.01%，盘中刷新历史新高至9267元/千克。全球最大黄金上市交易基金(ETF)--SPDR Gold Trust公布，截至周五(7月11日)，其黄金持仓量为947.64吨，减少1.16吨，或0.12%。前一交易日为948.8吨。美国商品期货交易委员会（CFTC）周五公布的报告显示，截至7月8日当周，黄金投机客减持COMEX黄金期货和期权净多头头寸1,855手，至134,842手。 截至午间收盘，欧线集运主力合约跌0.33%，报2010点。 截至7月14日11:40分，部分期货午间行情: 》7月14日SMM金属现货价格 现货及基本面 铜： 截至7月14日周一，SMM全国主流地区铜库存环比上周四增加0.39万吨至14.76万吨；相比上周四库存的变化，各地区库存除了上海地区外其他地区普遍增加...... 》点击查看详情 宏观面 国内方面: 【海关总署：上半年我国货物贸易进出口同比增长2.9% “新三样”产品增长12.7%】 国务院新闻办公室今日上午10时举行新闻发布会，请海关总署副署长王令浚等介绍2025年上半年进出口情况，并答记者问。Wang Lingjun introduced: Since the beginning of this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has adhered to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, remained steadfast in managing its own affairs, unswervingly expanded high-standard opening up, and focused on stabilizing employment, enterprises, markets, and expectations while effectively responding to external shocks. The national economy has maintained overall stability with progress, and China's foreign trade has withstood pressures, sustained momentum, and demonstrated vitality amid complex environments. According to customs statistics, in the first half of this year, China's import and export of goods totaled 21.79 trillion yuan, up 2.9% YoY. Among these, exports reached 13 trillion yuan, increasing by 7.2%, while imports stood at 8.79 trillion yuan, down 2.7%. Specific features are highlighted in five aspects: 1) Steady growth in foreign trade scale. In H1, China's import and export scale exceeded 20 trillion yuan, reaching a record high for the same period. From a quarterly perspective, Q2 imports and exports grew 4.5% YoY, accelerating by 3.2 percentage points compared to Q1, marking seven consecutive quarters of YoY growth. 2) Diversification of foreign trade partners. 3) Optimized and upgraded export momentum. In H1, China's machinery and equipment exports reached 7.8 trillion yuan, up 9.5%, accounting for 60% of total exports—a 1.2 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year. High-end equipment closely related to new quality productive forces grew by over 20%, while "new three" products representing green and low-carbon sectors increased by 12.7%. 4) Expanding domestic demand stabilized imports. With policies like "implementing major national strategies" and "large-scale equipment upgrades" taking effect, imports turned positive in Q2. In H1, China's imports of machinery equipment for petrochemical and textile sectors achieved double-digit growth, key parts like electronic components grew rapidly, and imports of crude oil, metal ores, and other critical raw materials increased. 5) Vitality of foreign trade entities continued to release. 》Click for details [PBOC injects 119.7 billion yuan net liquidity today] The People's Bank of China conducted 226.2 billion yuan in 7-day reverse repo operations today at an unchanged interest rate of 1.40%. With 106.5 billion yuan in 7-day reverse repos maturing, the net injection reached 119.7 billion yuan. ► On July 14, the central parity rate of the yuan in the interbank foreign exchange market was 7.1491 yuan per US dollar. US dollar update: As of 11:40, the US dollar index rose 0.09% to 97.96. US President Trump announced in a letter to the European Commission that a 30% tariff will be imposed on all European goods starting August 1. Several EU analysts have stated that announcing tariff hikes is a negotiating tactic employed by Trump. The market is currently awaiting the US inflation data for June, which will be released on Tuesday, to gain more clues about the US Fed's path for interest rate hikes. According to media reports on Friday, Austan Goolsbee, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, said that Trump's new tariffs could spark fresh concerns about inflation, which might force the US Fed to remain on the sidelines. In other currencies: The euro fell to a three-week low on Monday, and the Mexican peso also came under pressure after US President Trump threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from the US's two largest trading partners starting August 1. Trump sent letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Saturday, announcing the new tariffs. In response, the EU and Mexico called the tariffs unfair and disruptive. The EU said it would suspend retaliatory measures against US tariffs until early August while continuing to urge a negotiated solution. During the Asian morning session, the foreign exchange market's reaction to Trump's latest tariff threats was largely mediocre, with only the euro falling to a roughly three-week low. The market has become increasingly insensitive to Trump's series of tariff threats. His recent stirring up of global trade turmoil has hardly been able to stop the US stock market from repeatedly hitting new highs, and has only slightly boosted the US dollar. Taylor Nugent, a senior economist at National Australia Bank, said it was difficult to attribute the market's mediocre reaction in the past week to either increased resilience or self-delusion. However, negotiations are still ongoing, and the recent key substantive progress was that the July 9 deadline for reciprocal tariffs had arrived without any tariff rate increases, making it difficult for the market to price in a series of major news items that were said to determine the tariff levels on August 1. Data: Today, data such as China's M2 money supply annual growth rate for June (time uncertain from July 14 to 17), China's total social financing for the year to date in June (time uncertain from July 14 to 17), and China's new yuan-denominated loans for the year to date in June (time uncertain from July 14 to 17) will be released. In addition, it is worth noting that the State Council Information Office will hold a press conference on financial statistics for the first half of 2025; the National Energy Administration will release data on total electricity consumption around the 15th of each month; and US President Trump plans to make a "major announcement" on Russia. Crude oil: Both crude oil futures rose slightly. As of 11:40, US crude oil was up 0.13%, and Brent crude oil was up 0.16%. Concerns that further US sanctions on Russia could affect global supply have supported oil prices, but increased production by Saudi Arabia and ongoing tariff uncertainties have limited the gains in oil prices. 国际能源署(IEA)称，沙特6月石油日产量超出目标43万桶，达到980万桶/日，而根据OPEC 配额该国的产量目标应为937万桶/日。沙特能源部周五表示，沙特完全遵守了OPEC 的自愿产量目标，并补充称，沙特6月的市场原油供应量为935.2万桶/日，符合配额要求。 美国能源服务公司贝克休斯(Baker Hughes)周五在其备受关注的报告中表示，美国能源公司本周连续第11周削减石油和天然气钻机数量，为2020年7月以来首次。数据显示，截至7月11日当周，未来产量的先行指标--美国石油和天然气钻机总数减少2座至537座，为2021年10月以来最低水平。（文华综合） 现货市场一览: ► 周末全国主流地区铜库存增加0.39万吨【SMM周度数据】 ► 铜价回落且月差收窄，下游采购积极性上升【SMM华南铜现货】 ► 交割日临近 市场氛围表现安静【SMM华北铜现货】 ► 上海锌：现货成交一般 升水继续走低【SMM午评】 ► 宁波锌：下游订单走弱 成交表现平淡【SMM午评】 ► 【SMM铁矿石航运】全球铁矿石发运量和到港量同步小幅下滑6% ► 【SMM钢材航运】上周中国出口钢材总量环比上升28% ► 【SMM煤焦航运】上周焦煤到港213.36万吨 环比+40.05万吨 ► 需求减弱但下游囤货意愿增强 光伏玻璃7月冷修产能再增【SMM分析】 其他金属现货午评稍后更新，敬请刷新查看~