On July 21, the Jiangsu Provincial Development and Reform Commission issued the Notice on the Implementation Plan for the Development of Distributed Photovoltaic in Jiangsu Province (2026- 2030). The notice requires that, in accordance with the overall requirement of "actively and prudently promoting carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, promoting the clean, low-carbon, and efficient use of energy, and accelerating the planning and construction of a new energy system", based on the actual situation of abundant rooftop resources in our province's parks and rural areas, we should increase the organization and development of distributed photovoltaic power. Distinguish between commercial and household scenarios, and focus on centralized flow, Distributed access is secondary, and priority shoul

On July 30, the Development and Reform Commission of shan dong Province and the Energy Bureau of shan dong Province issued a notice on the implementation of the price policy of supporting the near-by consumption of new energy in accordance with the document [2025] No. 1192 of the Development and Reform Commission (No. 554 [2026] of the Development and Reform Price of shan dong Province),The new energy power consumption projects referred to in this Notice are projects in which the power source (wind power, photovoltaic power, biomass), load and energy storage are connected to the Shandong power grid as a whole, forming a clear physical interface and safety responsibility interface, with new energy power generation as the main power source. At present, it mainly includes projects such as gre

Zimbabwe exported US$782 million worth of lithium products in the first half of 2026, representing a 230% year on year increase from US$237 million in H1 2025, according to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube during the country's mid-year budget review. Lithium accounted for approximately 12% of Zimbabwe's total mineral export revenue, ranking behind only gold and platinum group metals (PGMs), further strengthening its position as one of the country's key export commodities. The government expects lithium's contribution to increase further following the April 2026 commissioning of Zimbabwe's first lithium sulphate plant, marking a significant step in the country's strategy to move up the battery materials value chain. Zimbabwe continues to require foreign investors, particularly Chinese mining companies, to expand downstream processing capacity within the country. As part of its beneficiation policy, Zimbabwe plans to ban lithium concentrate exports from January 2027, encouraging producers to export higher-value processed lithium products instead. According to the Ministry of Finance, 2026 lithium production is forecast at 2.14 million metric tons, slightly below the 2.2 million metric tons produced in 2025. Earlier this year, Zimbabwe temporarily suspended lithium concentrate exports in February, citing irregularities and leakages in export activities. Official data also showed Zimbabwe exported 1.13 million metric tons of lithium products in 2025, suggesting inventories have accumulated at several mining operations as export restrictions and processing capacity continue to evolve. Zimbabwe's lithium sector remains dominated by major Chinese investors, including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group, Chengxin Lithium Group, Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group, and Tsingshan Holding Group, all of which have invested heavily in Zimbabwe's mining and downstream lithium processing projects. SMM Analysis: Zimbabwe is accelerating its transition from a lithium concentrate exporter to a battery materials producer through export restrictions and mandatory local beneficiation. While near-term concentrate exports may remain constrained, expanding domestic conversion capacity is expected to increase exports of higher-value lithium chemicals, reinforcing Zimbabwe's strategic role in the global EV battery supply chain.

[SMM Stainless Steel Daily Review] SS Futures Consolidate on a Strong Note, Stainless Steel Month-End Spot High Prices See Sluggish Transactions According to SMM on July 31, SS futures consolidated on a strong note overall. Driven by successive pullbacks in the US dollar index, nonferrous metals futures strengthened across the board, and SS rose in tandem. At the close, the most-traded SS contract settled at 14,635 yuan/mt. On the spot market, SS futures shot up at the morning open and then gradually pulled back in consolidation. Although the morning strength in futures drove spot prices higher, high-priced transactions were not smooth. Some traders offered concessions under month-end shipment pressure, and market transactions were dominated by just-in-time procurement. The most-traded SS futures contract. At 10:15 a.m., SS2609 was quoted at 14,710 yuan/mt, up 110 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Spot premiums for 304/2B in Wuxi were in the range of 310-710 yuan/mt. In the spot market, the average price of cold-rolled 201/2B coil in Wuxi rose 100 yuan/mt; for cold-rolled edge 304/2B coil, the average price in Wuxi rose 50 yuan/mt and in Foshan rose 25 yuan/mt; cold-rolled 316L/2B coil in Wuxi was flat; hot-rolled 316L/NO.1 coil, Wuxi quote flat; cold-rolled 430/2B coil in both Wuxi and Foshan was flat. This week, macro sentiment turned bearish and dominated metal price trends. Stainless steel futures were under pressure and consolidated on a subdued note. This week, the US Fed kept interest rates unchanged as expected at its meeting, but its overall tone was hawkish. Commodity valuations came under broad pressure, and the nonferrous metals sector weakened across the board. Dragged by the spillover of macro headwinds, SS futures...

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SMM July 31: As of July 30, secondary lead finished product inventories stood at 34,000 mt, up about 10,000 mt MoM. Imported crude lead traded in May arrived in a concentrated manner recently after a two-month shipping period, and smelters began refining processing, pushing finished product inventories significantly higher. Meanwhile, the price spread between secondary refined lead and primary lead continued to narrow, and downstream users prioritized purchasing primary lead, with secondary lead transactions remaining weak; compounded by lead prices consolidating on a weak note, smelters were trapped in losses and their willingness to sell proactively was low. SMM expects that secondary lead smelter inventories will stay high next week, but with expectations for industry production cuts, the room for further inventory buildup will be relatively limited.

[End-Use Consumption Lacking Sufficient Support, Guangdong Zinc Premiums Move Sideways] This week, Guangdong premiums were up around 15 yuan/mt WoW. As of this Friday, mainstream #0 zinc in Guangdong was quoted at a discount of 75-120 yuan/mt against the market...

On July 30, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued an announcement abolishing the second-life application clauses in the Industry Standard Conditions for Comprehensive Utilization of Used NEV Power Batteries (2024 Edition). It will no longer carry out announcement management for second-life battery producers, and all such producers previously included in the announcement list were removed.

[More Frequent Production Control and Cuts Among Enterprises; Die-casting Zinc Alloy Operating Rates Decline] The decline in operating rates was mainly due to weakening end-use demand, with sluggish shipments at alloy plants leading to production control and cuts. Demand side, end-use consumption was in the traditional off-season, with orders across downstream sectors generally weak...

[Turkey] Supported by rising billet costs, the Turkish long steel market held firm overall this week, though sluggish end-user demand prevented a broader price surge. In the rebar sector, after Karabük mill concluded large-volume billet transactions at higher prices, coupled with escalating fuel costs, mills in the Marmara region showed strong resistance to price cuts, pushing domestic rebar offers up to 580 USD/tonne EXW (excl. VAT). However, given tight buyer liquidity and earlier partial restocking, mainstream producers in Iskenderun and Izmir maintained quotes at 570 USD/tonne EXW, leaving export offers steady at 575 USD/tonne FOB amid subdued trading. In the wire rod market, buoyed by domestic price hikes from major producers, Turkish wire rod export quotes advanced in tandem to 585 USD/tonne FOB.