The European Emissions Trading System (ETS) is under significant pressure from member states due to sharply rising energy costs driven by the tightening supply of certificates, with prices tripling from around €25/t CO2 in 2019 to approximately €75/t in 2025. With the ETS scheduled for a major revision by July 2026, several EU countries led by Italy recently called for the review process to be suspended. Last week, Polish President Karol Nawrocki went a step further, urging his government to advocate for the complete abolition of the ETS to prevent further industrial relocation outside the EU. Industry experts note that any modification, suspension, or national exemption of the ETS would have immediate and direct consequences for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

Based on China’s 2025 aluminum wire and cable export data to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia was the largest export destination in the region, with annual exports of 9,426.752 mt, accounting for 31.88 of the Middle East total

SMM, March 20: The SMM weekly operating rate of secondary lead across four provinces stood at 39.57% from March 13 to March 19, 2026, up 10.42 percentage points WoW. Production at enterprises in Anhui was relatively stable, while the resumption progress at other smelters was slow; raw material inventory among enterprises in Henan diverged, with mixed changes in operating rates; enterprises in Jiangsu, affected by losses, showed intentions to cut or suspend production; and a large secondary lead smelter in Inner Mongolia resumed production, driving a sharp increase in the operating rate this week. Next week, enterprises resuming production will continue to release capacity, and market attention should focus on whether loss-making enterprises will implement production suspensions in the secondary lead operating rate. 》Subscribe to View Historical SMM Metal Spot Prices

[Weekly Operating Rates in the Aluminum Processing Industry: China's Aluminum Processing Sector Sees Modest Growth Amid Peak Season Demand] This week, the weekly operating rate of leading downstream aluminum processing enterprises in China edged up 1 percentage point WoW to 62.9%.

[SMM Titanium Spot Update: High Costs Drive a Second Titanium Dioxide Price Increase Within the Month, While Diverging Domestic and External Demand Tests the Sustainability of the Hike] In mid-March, titanium dioxide enterprises in China collectively issued a second round of price increase notices within the month, raising domestic prices by 500 yuan/mt and export prices by $100/mt, mainly because elevated sulphuric acid prices forced cost pass-through. At present, enterprises are operating at full capacity, but mediocre domestic demand and foreign trade constrained by geopolitical factors have intensified market divergence. Expectations of tighter sulphuric acid supply still support confidence to hold prices firm, but the sustainability of the price increase remains to be verified by follow-up demand.

[CleanTech Is About to Sign a 40-Year Operating Contract With the Chilean Government for the Laguna Verde Lithium Project] CleanTech Lithium, an Anglo-Australian company, is about to sign a 40-year contract with the Chilean government to develop the Laguna Verde lithium project in the Atacama Region, enabling it to advance extraction of this mineral at one of the salt lakes opened to the private sector. After reaching agreement with the Ministry of Mining on the terms of the Special Lithium Operating Contract (CEOL), Chile’s Office of the Comptroller General is now expected to approve the document in Q2 2026. CleanTech, its subsidiary Atacama Salt Lakes, and minority shareholders that are among the consortium members established to advance the Laguna Verde project have begun celebrating this new phase, as it provides greater certainty for their investment. [Rio Tinto Begins Commercial Lithium Exports From the Rincon Project] Rio Tinto’s milestone achievement in commencing commercial lithium exports from the Rincon project marked a pivotal moment for the global lithium market. Miners are currently contending with the complex interplay of resource scarcity, geopolitical tensions, and the accelerating popularization of EVs. The traditional supply-chain dependencies that have defined battery materials sourcing for decades are being reshaped by new producers launching commercial operations in previously underexplored regions. These developments signify not merely a slight increase in capacity, but a fundamental shift in how critical minerals move from extraction sites to manufacturing hubs, with implications far beyond quarterly production data. Rio Tinto’s commercial lithium exports from the Rincon project reflected its prudent positioning in one of the world’s most fiercely contested mining regions for this mineral. Following the suspension of the Jadar project in Serbia in 2025, the company shipped 200 mt of battery-grade lithium carbonate from Buenos Aires to Shanghai in March 2026, marking the official start of operations at its core South American lithium asset. The timing of this market entry reflected broader industry dynamics across the Lithium Triangle. Argentina’s regulatory environment has increasingly favoured large-scale international mining operations. In addition, the Rincon project is located in Salta Province, placing Rio Tinto within a geographic cluster that contains significant global lithium resources across Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia. [The Geothermal Plant Behind Europe’s Lithium Push] The town of Landau in der Pfalz, near the French-German border, has long been at the heart of the local winemaking industry. The region is also home to the Upper Rhine Valley brine fields, which contain Europe’s largest lithium resources and have now made it a hub for Europe’s push to advance EV development. The planned integrated geothermal-lithium extraction plant forms part of renewable energy producer Vulcan Energy’s ambition to build a carbon-neutral EV supply chain in Europe. The project will use geothermal wells to extract lithium-rich brine from depths of up to 5 kilometers. The high-temperature brine will be pumped to the surface, where lithium will be extracted before being transported to a plant. There, the lithium will be converted through electrolysis into lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM). The brine will then be reinjected underground, while LHM will be delivered to offtakers, including automaker Stellantis, which owns automotive brands such as Citroen and Peugeot. [Liontown's Interim Loss Widens as It Bets on a Recovery in Lithium Prices] Australia's Liontown said on Thursday that its loss widened in H1 due to a non-cash accounting charge, and added that it is evaluating potential expansion options for its Kathleen Valley mine as lithium prices are expected to rise. The miner of this raw material used in EV batteries has been seeing an initial price recovery after nearly two years of weakness. Previously, EV adoption was slower than generally expected, resulting in oversupply. Liontown said in its December quarter report that prices improved, with the selling price reaching $900/mt, up 28% from the previous quarter. As its flagship project transitioned to underground mining, the company sold 190,000 mt of spodumene, a lithium raw material, in H1. Source: https://www.investing.com

On March 13, the average price of SMM battery-grade nickel sulphate rose slightly.

[SMM Weekly Survey of the Aluminum Downstream Sector: Downstream Aluminum Operating Rate Continued to Rebound to 61.9%, with High Prices Suppressing the Peak "Golden March" Season] This week, the weekly operating rate of leading downstream aluminum processing enterprises in China rose 2.4 percentage points MoM to 61.9%, overall extending the post-holiday recovery trend, with all segments rebounding MoM, and the industry as a whole entering a normal production pace.

The University of Tsukuba in Japan successfully developed a new-type magnesium-air solid-state battery, using a nitrogen-doped porous graphene cathode to solve the problem of chloride corrosion, providing a high-safety, low-cost technological pathway for flexible electronics and wearable devices. At the same time, the Record Ridge magnesium mine project in British Columbia, Canada, has triggered strong opposition from the local tourism community over plans to transport ore to China for processing, and has been halted by litigation, with a court hearing scheduled for March 10. The two developments respectively highlight magnesium’s cutting-edge applications in new energy technology and the real-world tensions in resource development.

SMM, March 5: Today, market sentiment in the Foshan A00 spot aluminum market adjusted in the doldrums. Downstream players basically completed the resumption of work after the Lantern Festival, with bullish sentiment spreading. Purchase willingness and buying intensity both increased, and market transactions were in a phase of accelerated recovery. The overall supply-demand pattern changed relatively little. Although overall deliverable cargo in warehouses was ample, pressure from in-transit cargo eased slightly due to the expanded suspension of rail loading in South China. Aluminum prices rose for several consecutive sessions, leaving traders hedging positions relatively passive. Today, mainstream quotes in the South China market were at a discount of 170-180 yuan/mt to the SHFE aluminum 03 contract, with mainstream transactions at a discount of 180 yuan/mt to the SHFE aluminum 03 contract. Aluminum billet: Today, the average processing fee for SMM 6063 aluminum billet (Guangdong) was -50 yuan/mt for Φ90/100, and -100 yuan/mt for Φ120 and above, down 230 yuan/mt from yesterday. As overseas aluminum supply saw renewed turbulence, the base price fluctuated sharply. Aluminum billet processing fees came under pressure, with the discount widening. Downstream players were wary of high prices, mainly purchasing on rigid demand while pushing for lower prices, and overall market trading sentiment was average.