[SMM News Flash] According to reports, Changyuan Donggu is planning to acquire 100% equity of Xiangyang Kanghao Electromechanical Engineering Co., Ltd., held by Hubei Xinyuan Power Technology Group Co., Ltd., through a combination of share issuance and pay in cash, while also raising supporting funds. Upon completion of this transaction, the company will directly hold 100% equity of the target company.

On March 19, Junda Shares (002865.SZ) stated on the investor interaction platform that current high silver prices were putting certain pressure on the cost of PV silver paste. The company was adopting a two-pronged strategy in response: first, smoothing raw material price fluctuations through refined supply chain management; second, continuously advancing the R&D and application of low-silver and silver-free technologies to reduce silver paste consumption per unit of solar cell and ease cost pressure.

On March 16, Sichuan Xingkong Sodium-ion Battery Co., Ltd. and BASF officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Dazhou, Sichuan. The two parties will engage in in-depth collaboration across three key dimensions: R&D of core materials for sodium-ion batteries, coordination of the industry chain, and international product development, injecting new momentum into the technological advancement and global expansion of the sodium-ion battery sector. This partnership will focus on joint R&D of cutting-edge sodium-ion battery technologies, covering the entire material chain, including ESS parts, battery pack modules, and battery cells. Key areas of emphasis include thermal management, structural design, electrochemical performance enhancement, and material system optimization. Additionally, the collaboration aims to jointly overcome critical technical bottlenecks such as bamboo charcoal anodes and Prussian blue cathodes, driving the iteration of next-generation sodium-ion battery technologies. Simultaneously, BASF will provide Xingkong Sodium-ion Battery with high-quality raw material supplies. The two parties will also work together to develop customized energy storage solutions and establish a shared after-sales service system, accelerating the industrialisation of R&D achievements.

On March 13, according to the Beijing Stock Exchange website, the Beijing Stock Exchange Listing Review Committee is scheduled to hold its 28th listing review meeting of 2026 at 9:00 a.m. on March 20, at which time it will review the IPO of Huzhou Anda Auto Parts Co., Ltd.

February 2026 coincided with the Chinese New Year holiday. Affected by holiday factors, production pace across core segments of China’s sodium-ion battery industry generally slowed, showing an “off-season reset” trend. From cathodes, anodes, and electrolyte to battery cells and end-users, production across all segments declined MoM to varying degrees, while YoY still maintained a certain degree of growth resilience.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has entered into an exclusive agreement with American Industrial Partners (AIP) to acquire 100% of Aluminum Dunkerque, Europe's largest primary aluminum smelter, located in Loon-Plage, Dunkerque, France. The site produces ~300,000 tonnes of aluminum per year. Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) will pay the consideration for acquiring Aluminium Dunkerque entirely payable in cash, with funding fully underwritten by a syndicate of relationship banks. Alba has offered a shareholding position to Bpifrance (France's public investment bank) to foster a strategic partnership and support the long-term, sustainable development of the French smelter. Discussions with Bpifrance have started and will continue in the coming days.

Recently, Moonwatt announced that its sodium-ion battery energy storage project, implemented in the Cleantech Park in Arnhem, the Netherlands, has been successfully put into operation. It is reported that this flagship project was jointly developed by Moonwatt, IPKW, and Veolia, marking the first practical deployment of a sodium-ion battery energy storage system specifically designed for hybrid solar power plants. The project utilizes Moonwatt's self-developed modular "string battery," which encapsulates sodium-ion battery cells in a passively cooled, sealed, and noiseless battery shell. Through a shared hybrid inverter and solar panels, it achieves DC coupling, effectively addressing challenges such as high costs and complex operation and maintenance during the hybridization of solar power plants, enabling seamless scaling from kilowatt to gigawatt levels.

[Imports of Recycled Copper Raw Materials by Country of Origin] From the perspective of source country structure, the trend of diversification in China's imports of recycled copper raw materials has further strengthened. Japan remained the largest supplier, exporting 33,200 mt to China in October. Although this represented a slight decrease of 0.86% MoM, it marked a significant increase of 45.91% YoY, accounting for 16.89% of total imports. Thailand, as the second-largest source country, recorded imports of 31,000 mt in physical content in October, representing a share of 15.79%. This was an increase of 3% MoM and a sharp rise of 92.18% YoY, indicating a notable growth trend.

Expert Gracelin Baskaran is urging western allies to form a coordinated “anchor market” to counter China’s dominance in critical minerals.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the second China-Central Asia Summit and delivered a keynote speech. President Xi pointed out that we should strengthen cooperation with a more proactive attitude and more pragmatic measures, promote the high-quality development of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and forge ahead towards the goal of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future. During the summit, President Xi, together with the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries, jointly signed a Treaty on Permanent Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation. The summit announced the signing of 12 cooperation documents in areas such as the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, facilitating personnel exchanges, green minerals, unimpeded trade, connectivity, industry, and customs.