Korea’s domestic NEV sales rose 22.1% month on month to 93,722 units in June, while combined BEV, HEV and PHEV exports increased 23.3% to 102,551 units. HEVs accounted for about 78% of incremental growth in both markets. BEV volumes also posted double-digit gains, but their share declined as HEVs expanded faster, highlighting a gap between overall vehicle-market recovery and the pace of BEV-led electrification.

South Africa's ports are sending mixed signals for chrome ore and ferrochrome exporters this week. Fresh recognition of Durban's turnaround is running alongside renewed congestion at the terminal level and worsening delays along the road corridors that carry much of the country's bulk mineral cargo to the coast. Durban's turnaround recognized, but queues are lengthening again The Port of Durban, the primary gateway for South African chrome ore and ferrochrome shipments, was recently ranked the world's most-improved port by the World Bank and S&P, with its performance score surging 479 points in 2025. Transnet says its eight commercial seaports handled more than 300 million tonnes of cargo in the 2025/26 financial year, a 9% rise in vessel traffic and the strongest cargo throughput growth since 2011/12. That progress has not stopped local congestion from creeping back up. Published vessel-waiting-time data tracked in early July showed Durban's delay indicator climbing to roughly four days, up from around two days the previous week, while Coega/Ngqura, another route used for bulk exports, held at about five days. Cape Town was separately ranked South Africa's worst-performing port in the same World Bank/S&P assessment that praised Durban. Corridor and border delays offset port-level gains A significant share of South African chrome ore and concentrate is trucked to the coast rather than moved by rail, making inland corridors as important as the ports themselves. A Trademark Africa-commissioned assessment found that Durban's improved performance is not translating into faster end-to-end transit times, because border crossings along the North-South Corridor remain a persistent bottleneck. Average South African border-crossing times deteriorated by roughly 23% week-on-week to about 9.6 hours in early July, even as Lebombo (the main crossing on the Maputo Corridor used for chrome bound for Maputo harbour) saw truck volumes ease slightly and queue times improve. Further north, congestion at the Kasumbalesa crossing into the DRC has cut daily vehicle clearances by more than half, illustrating how regional border capacity, not just port throughput, shapes actual delivery times for African mineral exporters. Investment and reform response South Africa's transport ministry has extended the tenure of Transnet's turnaround board by six months, to January 2027, to allow more time to complete the appointment of a permanent replacement board and continue the state logistics group's recovery plan. Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, the port's largest container terminal, is set for an 11 billion rand investment from Philippines-based ICTSI as part of Transnet's wider push toward private-sector terminal operation. Cape Town has also expanded private participation, with nine of its eleven terminals now privately operated. On the alternative-route side, Maputo has launched Mozambique's first Port Community System, a digital platform intended to connect shipping lines, customs, transporters and other port users on a single system. If effectively implemented, it could strengthen Maputo's position as an alternative export gateway for South African chrome moved via the Maputo Corridor, though officials note the benefit will depend on execution rather than the platform's existence alone. Why it matters for chrome and ferrochrome trade Bottom line: Global rankings point to a genuine Transnet turnaround, but week-to-week congestion data and deteriorating border-crossing times suggest chrome and ferrochrome exporters should still budget for variable lead times, particularly on Maputo Corridor-bound cargo, rather than assume headline port improvements have fully resolved South Africa's export logistics constraints. NOTE: Compiled by SMM Africa (Zambia office) from Business Day, EWC (Exporters Western Cape) Logistics News Update, and Transnet/World Bank-S&P port performance data. Figures reflect the most recently available public reporting as of 22 July 2026 and are subject to change as Transnet and corridor authorities issue updates.

Perovskite solar startup Sofab Inks has raised USD 6 million in seed funding led by Cloudberry Ventures to expand production of its nanostructured materials for perovskite solar cells. The company said its metal-oxide nanoparticle material replaces the conventional C60 fullerene-based layer and is designed to improve durability, a key challenge for commercialization. Sofab said its perovskite cell has achieved 22.3% efficiency in 30-cm single-junction perovskite modules and plans to scale manufacturing for commercial-size 1×2 m modules.

On the evening of July 20, Furih Group Co., Ltd. issued an announcement stating that it plans to acquire 78.80% of the equity of Bosilis (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. for 399.6 million yuan. The transaction has been approved by the second meeting of the ninth board of directors of Furih Group. Upon completion of the transaction, Bosilis (Nanjing) will become a holding subsidiary of Furih Group and will be included in its consolidated financial statements. As of the date of the agreement signing, Bosilis Co., Ltd. holds 78.8% of its equity, while Nanjing Zhongli Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership) holds 21.2%.

Entering late July, China's tungsten market has overall moved into a phase of stage-based consolidation and repair. Following a sustained deep pullback in tungsten prices, low-priced goods in the market have become hard to find, as upstream mines and supplier traders have been hoarding, holding back from selling, and showing a strong willingness to hold prices firm, while the center of spot order transactions has steadily moved higher. Coupled with the boost to market sentiment from long-term contract purchase quotations by leading tungsten enterprises, transaction activity at the mine and APT ends has recently warmed up. However, constrained by the traditional consumption off-season in the industry, downstream end-use demand has yet to see a marked recovery, leaving the overall market in a structurally split pattern, with upstream raw material prices rebounding as suppliers hold prices firm, while downstream demand remains relatively weak. A Tungsten Enterprise Lowers Long-Term Contract Quotations for the Second Half of July A tungsten enterprise has lowered its long-term contract quotations for the second half of July, as detailed below: According to the long-term contract purchase quotations of a tungsten enterprise in Chongyi for the second half of July, the details are as follows: 1. 55% wolframite concentrates: 411,000 yuan/standard tonne, down by 37,000 yuan/standard tonne from the previous quotation; 2. 55% scheelite concentrates: 410,000 yuan/standard tonne, down by 37,000 yuan/standard tonne from the previous quotation; 3. APT (national standard grade 0): 605,000 yuan/mt, down by 55,000 yuan/mt from the previous quotation. Tungsten Prices Bid Farewell to Declines, Notch Two Consecutive Gains Looking back at the trend in this cycle, after the average price of wolframite concentrates rebounded to the previous high of 527,500 yuan/standard tonne in mid-to-early June, the trend continued to weaken. The core drag factor was the persistently sluggish downstream end-use demand, compounded by the ongoing digestion cycle of raw material inventories after earlier concentrated stockpiling by enterprises, which significantly weakened market price support. Starting from June 17, tungsten prices embarked on an overall weak downward path. Compared to the average price of 527,500 yuan/standard tonne on June 16, the average price of 402,500 yuan/standard tonne on July 17 marked a decline of 125,000 yuan/standard tonne over a period of just over one month, a drop of 23.7%. After the rapid pullback in tungsten prices, stage-based bottom support gradually emerged in the tungsten market. The tightening of upstream goods and rising sentiment of holding back from selling and holding prices firm pushed tungsten prices to stop falling and stabilize, then ushered in a two-consecutive-day rebound. According to SMM quotations, the price of wolframite concentrates (≥65%) on July 21 was 410,000~415,000 yuan/standard tonne, with an average price of 412,500 yuan/standard tonne, up 1.23% from the previous trading day. Currently, low-priced goods on the market are quite scarce, and suppliers have generally ceased offloading at low prices. Coupled with the fact that long-term contract purchase prices from leading tungsten enterprises are higher than mainstream spot transaction prices, this has effectively boosted market confidence, driving spot transaction prices to gradually converge with long-term contract prices. Market Outlook Short term, supported by tightening raw material supply and strong sentiment among suppliers to hold prices firm, the tungsten market will mainly see a slight rebound and consolidation at lows in late July, and the market does not yet have the conditions for a significant reversal. A substantial recovery in the market still hinges on the traditional downstream consumption peak season from August to September, driven by end-user order recovery and the release of concentrated restocking demand to push prices higher. Currently, the industry chain has relatively consistent expectations for the seasonal recovery, and some enterprises may gradually begin advance stockpiling at low prices, which is expected to bring marginal improvement to the tungsten market. At present, the tungsten market is at a critical period of stopping the decline and consolidating at lows, with market recovery focused on the upstream raw material side. The downstream tungsten powder and cemented carbide sectors remain trapped in the traditional consumption off-season, with stable end-user operating rates and scarce new orders. Enterprises generally adopt a just-in-time essential restocking strategy, with no large-scale stockpiling activity, unable to support a significant rise in raw material prices. However, the industry chain has formed a broad consensus on the market recovery after August, and advance stockpiling at low prices in the market is gradually increasing, which is expected to drive the industry chain’s marginal improvement earlier. Markets outside China are affected by the summer holiday, with sluggish trading and high prices but no actual transactions, as prices continue to consolidate at high levels, with very low risk of a sharp decline. The divergent pattern between domestic and overseas markets is expected to persist. Going forward, close attention will be paid to four key variables: first, the pace of supply release from domestic mines and changes in suppliers’ holding firm sentiment; second, the pace of downstream cemented carbide end-user operating rate recovery and the strength of concentrated restocking; third, the market guidance role of APT long-term contract prices; fourth, the circulation volume of recycled tungsten scrap and the procurement release of downstream recycled raw materials. Recommended reading:

According to a July 21 local time report by Nikkei Asia and global battery value chain analysis, Sumitomo Chemical plans to shift to full-scale mass production of halide-based solid electrolyte materials from fiscal 2028. The materials were developed through joint research with Kyoto University and Tottori University.

[SMM Analysis: Expert Opinions Clash – Semi-Solid-State Battery Mass Production Year Begins, All-Solid-State Still Building Momentum] 2026 is widely regarded by the industry as the "mass production year" for semi-solid-state batteries. However, expert opinions on the industrial positioning and time pace of semi-solid-state and all-solid-state batteries are markedly divided. SVOLT Energy Technology Chairman Yang Hongxin and Huang Xuejie from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, among others, lean toward the view that "semi-solid-state will be the long-term mainstream," while CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun and Gotion High-tech Chief Scientist Zhu Xingbao remain cautiously optimistic about all-solid-state batteries from the perspectives of technological maturity and cost.

Japan imposed provisional anti-dumping duties of 3.6%–42.1% on stainless steel from China and Taiwan, effective 9 July through 8 November 2026. The measure covers nickel-based cold-rolled coil, sheet and strip. The provisional duties follow an investigation into alleged dumping injuring Japan's domestic stainless producers. The action adds to a widening set of ex-China trade measures targeting stainless flat products across Asia. Final determination timing will follow the provisional period. The enforcement date (9 July) sits just outside the strict 7-day window but is included as a material recent trade measure.

Constantia Flexibles has published a Low Carbon Aluminum white paper, introducing a framework that defines low-carbon aluminum based on Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and independently verified mass balance certification. The company classifies low-carbon aluminum into two categories: ≤6.1 tCO₂e/t for primary aluminum produced with renewable electricity, and ≤4.5 tCO₂e/t for aluminum combining renewable electricity with recycled content. The initiative aims to improve carbon transparency in aluminum packaging and support customers' ESG and decarbonisation goals.

[SMM Rare Earth Daily Review: Rare Earth Prices Stable, Actual Transactions Insufficient] In summary, at this stage, downstream new orders are poor, and purchasing enthusiasm is low. Meanwhile, upstream suppliers have weak willingness to sell at low prices, with quotations remaining relatively firm. The tug-of-war between upstream and downstream persists, and overall prices remain stable. In the short term, affected by weak supply-demand fundamentals, Pr-Nd product prices may move sideways in a narrow range.