Japanese steel trading giant Metal One finalized the acquisition of all remaining shares in PSCTH (Pacific Sheet & Coil (Thailand) Co., Ltd.), converting it into a wholly owned subsidiary. PSCTH operates an integrated processing system in the Thai market, offering high-quality services across various widths. Since adding a coil polishing machine in 2018, sales of its premium polished products have grown significantly. Metal One now aims to leverage the subsidiary's bonded factory status and its own global network to boost high-value product sales and expand international export operations.

[ION Minerals Expands Its Lithium Resources Footprint in Texas and Saskatchewan] ION Minerals said it had achieved a major expansion of its diversified lithium resources portfolio in the US and Canada. In a late-March news release, the Houston-based company said the expanded land footprint was achieved through prudent acquisitions, targeted leasing, and focused geological assessments. ION now controls more than 280,000 acres across three project areas, further cementing its position as a leading developer of critical lithium resources for the North American battery supply chain. Smackover is a subsurface geological formation stretching from Florida to Texas and is rich in lithium brine. Source: https://www.mining.com/ [EnergyX's "Lone Star" Project Revolutionizes Domestic Lithium Production in the US] EnergyX's groundbreaking "Lone Star" project marked a major milestone in the US pursuit of critical minerals independence through advanced direct lithium extraction technology. This pioneering facility is the first commercial-scale direct lithium extraction plant to enter operation in the US, addressing long-standing supply chain vulnerabilities while establishing an operational framework for domestic battery-grade lithium production. As demand for critical minerals accelerates amid the global energy transition, the project demonstrates how innovative extraction technologies can transform regional resources into strategic assets. Direct lithium extraction differs fundamentally from traditional mining methods, targeting subsurface brine rather than hard-rock deposits or surface evaporation systems. EnergyX's "Lone Star" project demonstrated this approach through its GET-Lit™ technology, which uses advanced filtration and chemical separation processes to treat brine from the Smackover formation. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [University of Surrey Develops a Lithium-Ion Battery Anode to Enhance Energy Storage] Researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) developed a new-type battery design that could significantly extend EV driving range. In a study published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, the researchers introduced a lithium-ion battery anode. The anode achieved one of the highest energy storage capacities reported to date in a silicon-carbon nanotube system, while remaining stable after hundreds of charge cycles. Lithium-ion batteries power a wide range of devices in modern technology. Graphite is the most commonly used anode material, offering high stability but limited energy storage capacity. By contrast, silicon has a much higher capacity, but it expands during charging, causing cracking and performance degradation over time. Source: https://www.automotivepowertraintechnologyinternational.com/

【SMM Steel】Southern Steel signed a heads of agreement to acquire Ann Joo Steel from Ann Joo Resources. The cash deal targets non-current assets valued at RM1.005bn. It includes Ann Joo Integrated Steel but excludes dormant property units. The acquisition aims to expand scale and improve efficiency via shared resources. Southern Steel seeks cost synergies by integrating similar upstream businesses. The deal requires shareholder approval.

In late March 2026, the Philippine DOE mandated the expedited grid integration of 22 renewable energy projects (1,471 MW) by April 2026 to mitigate fossil fuel price volatility stemming from Middle East conflicts. This emergency deployment is heavily concentrated in solar PV, with 12 projects accounting for a dominant 1,284 MW of the total capacity.

Recycling Industry Events This Week (December. 29-31)

Zijin Mining's 2025 annual report sent a clear industry signal: its lithium business has officially moved from strategic reserve to the stage of scaled monetization.

Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has announced that VLMH, a joint venture in which its wholly-owned subsidiary LGRF holds a 49% stake, has completed the acquisition of 100% equity in all companies under the CHEMAF Group, which is engaged in copper and cobalt mining and processing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This marks the first major mineral acquisition transaction closed by the joint venture platform in the DRC. Previously, the company disclosed in January 2026 the acquisition of a 50% stake in Nexus Holdco FZCO, which owns copper mining concessions and a processing plant in the DRC, with operations commencing in March 2026.

According to CMOC’s official WeChat account: On March 27, CMOC released its 2025 annual results report, which showed that the company’s operating revenue reached 206.684 billion yuan, standing firmly above the 200 billion yuan mark for the second consecutive year; net profit attributable to shareholders came in at 20.339 billion yuan, up 50.30% YoY and setting a new record for the fifth consecutive year; net operating cash flow reached the second-highest level in its history at 20.843 billion yuan; and total assets exceeded 200 billion yuan for the first time, reaching 200.932 billion yuan, up 18.03% YoY. In particular, in Q4, the company recorded operating revenue of 61.198 billion yuan, net profit attributable to shareholders of 6.059 billion yuan, and copper production of nearly 200,000 mt, all setting record highs for a single quarter. In 2025, with organisational upgrading as its main focus, the company built a “specialised, internationalised, and younger” team, refined its operations, and, together with rising prices for major products and strong production and sales, pushed its performance to a new peak. Specifically— Operating quality continued to improve. Revenue from the mining segment reached 77.713 billion yuan, accounting for 38% of total operating revenue, with the “mining” share up about 7 percentage points from 2024. Among this, revenue from copper products was 55.096 billion yuan, accounting for 27% of total operating revenue and 71% of mining-segment revenue. Both “copper” share indicators increased by about 7 percentage points YoY. This was attributable to the continued debottlenecking of two world-class copper mines, TFM and KFM, based on their existing six production lines. During the reporting period, the company’s copper production reached 741,100 mt, setting another record high and consolidating its position among the world’s top 10 copper producers. Based on the midpoint of production guidance, the completion rate was 118%, while maintaining double-digit growth of 13.99% YoY. Sales were 730,200 mt, up 5.90% YoY. Together with higher prices, copper revenue increased 31.63% YoY. Production of other products also exceeded expectations: niobium production hit a record high of 10,348 mt, with a completion rate of 103%; phosphate fertiliser production was 1.2135 million mt, with a completion rate of 106%; cobalt production was 117,500 mt, with a completion rate of 107%; molybdenum production was 13,906 mt, with a completion rate of 103%; and tungsten production was 7,114 mt, with a completion rate of 102%. In addition, the company recorded physical trading volume of 4.71 million mt, with a completion rate of 111%; IXM’s gross margin under IFRS was 2.11%, a recent high. The results of “cost reduction and efficiency improvement” became even more evident. Full-year operating costs were 157.229 billion yuan, down 11.56% YoY. In 2025, mining areas worldwide focused on key words such as innovation, technological transformation, and process optimisation, putting the concept of “refined operations” into practice. In Q4, TFM’s overall copper beneficiation and smelting recovery rate, equipment operating rate, and raw ore throughput all exceeded the calendar schedule; KFM established an ore characteristics database and ore blending model, lifting grinding efficiency by more than 30% YoY; at CMOC Brazil’s niobium segment, the recovery rates of two beneficiation plants rose by about 2 percentage points from the previous year, setting record highs; in China, recovery rates at Shangfanggou molybdenum and Sandaozhuang molybdenum and tungsten increased by 3.24 and 2.65, and 3.17 percentage points YoY, respectively, also reaching record highs. Centered on “multiple products, multiple countries, and multiple stages,” the company built a “copper + gold” dual-pole structure in 2025, adding gold resources last year. Together with the greenfield gold mine in Ecuador and four operating gold mines in Brazil, the company will have gold production capacity of 20 mt in South America by 2029. The Ecuador gold mine is expected to start production in 2029, with land acquisition and power supply assurance advancing rapidly; the Brazil gold mines achieved output above target in the first two months, and are expected to produce 6-8 mt of gold this year. Targeting copper production of 800,000-1 million mt in 2028, the company is building Phase II of the KFM project, which is expected to add annual copper capacity of 100,000 mt after coming into operation in 2027; TFM identified resource potential in relevant deposits, and preliminary preparations for Phase III construction are accelerating. In addition, the company completed the issuance of a $1.2 billion one-year zero-coupon convertible bond, broadening financing channels to support the implementation of its strategy. Alongside earnings growth, the company consistently practiced high-standard ESG principles. During the reporting period, ESG governance was further improved and digitalisation advanced; environmental performance led globally: the carbon emission intensity of its copper products was lower than that of 70% of mining companies worldwide, while the shares of renewable energy and water recycling increased further from 2024 to 38% and 89%, respectively; total global economic contribution reached 182.42 billion yuan, and global community investment was 488 million yuan. 2026 is a critical year for the company to fully implement its new development strategy and deepen platform-based operations and refined management. The company will further build a platform-based organisation: with the global supply chain centre as the pioneer, it will enhance synergies and cost competitiveness; relying on the “622” model, supplemented by multinational mine management experience and standardised business processes, it will improve its global control system. Centered on the “copper-gold dual poles,” the company will further transform its resource advantages into capacity and production advantages, while continuing to seek high-quality targets. With the goal of becoming a “globally leading, distinctive world-class mining company,” the company will continue to forge ahead in the mining industry.

1. Procurement Conditions The purchaser of this procurement project for cold-rolled steel strip for cored wire (AGZYFZHGXHD260325276365) was Ansteel Group Zhongyuan Industrial Development Co., Ltd. The funds for the procurement project came from self-raised sources. The project had met the procurement conditions, and an open inquiry and comparison was now conducted. 2. Project Overview and Procurement Scope 2.1 Project Name: Cold-Rolled Steel Strip for Cored Wire 2.2 Alternative Procurement Method in Case of Procurement Failure: Negotiated Procurement 2.3 For the content, scope, and scale of this project procurement, please refer to the attachment "Material List Attachment.pdf" for details. 3. Bidder Qualification Requirements 3.1 Consortium bidding was not permitted in this procurement. 3.2 This procurement required bidders to meet the following qualification requirements: See the attachment for details (if necessary) 3.3 This procurement required bidders to meet the following registered capital requirement: Registered capital: RMB 200,000 and above 3.4 This procurement required bidders to meet the following performance requirements: At least one steel strip sales contract within the past three years and the corresponding VAT invoice had to be provided. 3.5 This procurement required bidders to meet the following capability requirements, financial requirements, and other requirements: Financial requirements: See the attachment for details (if necessary) Capability requirements: See the attachment for details (if necessary) Other requirements: See the attachment for details (if necessary) 3.6 For projects that must be tendered in accordance with the law, bids submitted by dishonest persons subject to enforcement were invalid. 4. Acquisition of Procurement Documents 4.1 Any interested bidder should log in to the Ansteel Smart Tendering and Bidding Platform at http://bid.ansteel.cn to download the electronic procurement documents from 17:00 on March 26, 2026 to 13:00 on April 3, 2026 (Beijing time, the same hereinafter). Click to View Tender Details:

Hongyuan Green Energy has signed a restructuring investment agreement to acquire control of Wuxi Suntech Solar Power. Utilizing a 'new entity plus asset transfer' structure, Hongyuan will invest CNY 630 million for a 63% stake in the newly formed 'New Suntech', effectively isolating the original entity's massive historical debts. The acquisition grants Hongyuan access to Suntech's established global brand, international sales channels, and 7.5 GW of combined cell and module manufacturing capacity, which it plans to upgrade to n-type 'TOPCon' technology.