Disruptions to shipping routes and the Strait of Hormuz are tightening sulfuric acid supplies. The Middle East accounts for about 24% of global sulfur output, with nearly 40% of seaborne sulfur passing through Hormuz. Chile’s main suppliers—China, Peru and South Korea—are affected, pushing spot prices up nearly 20% since early 2026. Chile is advancing domestic smelter projects to reduce import reliance and secure supply.

[Australia’s Atlantic Lithium Secured Ghanaian Parliamentary Approval to Develop the Ewoyaa Project] Australia’s Atlantic Lithium secured approval from Ghana’s parliament to develop the Ewoyaa project—the country’s first lithium mine—under revised royalty terms linked to market prices. The approved 15-year lease introduced a sliding royalty scale for spodumene concentrates, set at 5% when prices are below $1,500/mt and 12% when they exceed $3,200/mt, replacing Ghana’s previous fixed 10% rate. The new structure followed broader reforms to the lithium and gold royalty framework passed earlier this month, paving the way for the project. The approval formally backed plans for the mine and processing plant, enabling Atlantic Lithium to advance financing discussions and move toward a final investment decision. The project had stalled after lithium prices pulled back from their peak at the end of 2022, prompting the company to push for more flexible fiscal terms. According to the company, Ewoyaa is expected to produce 3.6 million mt of lithium ore concentrates over 12 years, making it Africa’s third-largest lithium project under development. Atlantic Lithium said the project is the only lithium mine development project on the African continent aligned with the US, standing in sharp contrast to other projects backed by Chinese investment. Half of Ewoyaa’s production has been committed to Elevra Lithium, the merged entity of Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining, which had previously signed offtake agreements with Tesla and LG Chem. Company executives said details of the work completed in H2 2025 to improve project economics amid continued lithium price fluctuations and help define the next stage of development will be announced soon. Source: https://www.mining [Yahua Group Signed a Five-Year Spodumene Concentrates Procurement Agreement] Yahua Group announced on March 25 that it recently signed an Offtake and Sales Agreement with MGLIT EMPREENDIMENTOS LTDA (“MGLIT” or the “seller”), under which Yahua Group will purchase spodumene concentrates from MGLIT for five years after MGLIT achieves stable production of spodumene concentrates. In each contract year, the seller shall sell and deliver to Yahua Group no less than 120,000 dry metric tons of spodumene concentrates products. The signing of the agreement will provide multi-channel resource security for the company’s production of lithium chemical products. Source: https://www.cls.cn/telegraph [Atacama Salt Lake Expansion Will Drive Chile’s Lithium Production Growth in 2026] Chile is the world’s second-largest lithium producer after Australia. The country’s lithium metal production is expected to rise 10.1% in 2025 to 64,100 mt, mainly supported by higher production from SQM’s Atacama salt lake operations, driven by ongoing capacity expansion. Chile’s lithium production mainly consists of lithium carbonate sourced from brine in the Atacama salt lake in the Antofagasta Region. SQM and Albemarle are the country’s two major lithium producers, underscoring the high concentration of Chile’s lithium production landscape. Looking ahead, as capacity expansion continues to advance, supported by sustained growth in supply from the Atacama salt lake mine, the country’s lithium production is expected to increase by a further 4.9% in 2026 to 67,300 mt. Source: https://www.mining-technology.com/ [Exide Industries Announces Major Investment in Lithium-Ion Battery Cell Manufacturing] Strategic Investment Positioning in the Evolution of India’s Battery Manufacturing Industry Exide Industries’ investment in lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing marks a pivotal moment for India’s battery manufacturing ecosystem. Traditional energy storage enterprises must navigate between the mature lead-acid battery market and emerging opportunities in lithium-ion batteries. The transformation of this industry reflects broader changes in the global energy storage landscape, driven by the electrification trend. The electrification trend demands higher energy density, faster charging capability, and longer cycle life, performance metrics that traditional battery chemistries cannot meet. In addition, the systematic approach to capital deployment in India’s lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing sector reflects a mature investment pace aligned with production milestones and stages of market development. Recent industry developments indicate that established battery manufacturers are using multi-stage financing structures to maximize operational flexibility while minimizing execution risk as much as possible. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/

SMM Analysis: According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China imported 64,900 mt of copper anode (HS code: 74020000) in January 2026, up 5.74% MoM and up 1.48% YoY...

[SMM Rare Earth Bulletin] Chilean rare earth producer Aclara Resources announced that its rare earth separation pilot plant in Blacksburg, Virginia, has commenced operations. The plant sources mixed rare earth carbonate from the company’s ionic clay deposits in Brazil and Chile, and is designed to produce dysprosium, terbium, and Pr-Nd. It is expected to produce light rare earth oxides for the first time in May 2026 and heavy rare earth oxides in August.

Rising diesel and gasoline prices in Chile are increasing operating costs for copper mining, particularly in transport and heavy equipment usage. Higher fuel costs are putting pressure on margins and project viability.

Data released by the online query platform of customs statistics showed that China’s copper cathode imports in February 2026 were 203,588.22 mt, down 18.78% MoM and down 33.28% YoY. The DRC was the largest origin, with China importing 70,661.8 mt of copper cathode from the DRC during the month, down 33.06% MoM and down 28.63% YoY. Chile was the second-largest origin, with China importing 25,429.03 mt of copper cathode from Chile during the month, up 8.18% MoM and down 32.18% YoY. The following is a breakdown of China’s copper cathode imports in February 2026, compiled based on data from the official website of the General Administration of Customs: Source: General Administration of Customs Note: 1. Including unwrought copper cathode with a copper content >99.9935%; unwrought other refined copper cathode; unwrought refined copper wire bars; unwrought refined copper cathode sections; unwrought refined copper billets; and other unwrought refined copper. 2. The total imports (grand total) also include data for some origins not listed in the table above. (Wenhua Composite)

Data released by the online query platform for customs statistics showed that China imported 2,310,344.42 mt of copper ore and concentrates in February 2026, down 11.93% MoM and up 5.96% YoY. Chile was the largest origin, with imports of copper ore and concentrates from Chile totaling 747,321.72 mt in the month, down 4.27% MoM and down 1.33% YoY. Peru was the second-largest origin, with imports of copper ore and concentrates from Peru totaling 489,372.44 mt in the month, down 28.31% MoM and down 20.67% YoY. Below is a breakdown of China’s imports of copper ore and concentrates in February 2026, compiled based on data from the official website of the General Administration of Customs of China: Source: General Administration of Customs Note: The total import/export volume (grand total) also includes partial origin data not listed in the table above (Wenhua Composite)

Data released by the online query platform of customs statistics showed that China’s imports of copper ore and its concentrates in January 2026 were 2,623,162.74 mt, down 3.00% MoM and up 4.02% YoY. Chile was the largest origin, with China importing 780,640.92 mt of copper ore and its concentrates from Chile that month, down 21.10% MoM and down 7.54% YoY. Peru was the second-largest origin, with China importing 682,585.86 mt of copper ore and its concentrates from Peru that month, up 26.59% MoM and up 2.90% YoY. Below is a breakdown of China’s imports of copper ore and its concentrates in January 2026, compiled based on data from the official website of the General Administration of Customs of China: Source: General Administration of Customs Note: The total import/export volume (total) also includes data for some origins not listed in the table above (Wenhua Composite)

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) has begun the environmental permitting process for a $7.5 billion expansion of its majority owned El Abra copper mine in ChileThe project, owned 51% by Freeport and 49% by state-owned Codelco, is the largest mining investment submitted to Chile’s Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) since at least 1992. The plan includes a new concentrator, a desalination plant, a water pumping system, expanded mine infrastructure and continued leaching. Production is expected to begin in 2033 if regulators approve the project, Diario Financiero reported.

The current domestic rhenium spot market in China is characterized by differentiation across the industrial chain, two-way supply-demand game, and high-level consolidation. Overall market conditions are jointly driven by multiple factors, including macro investment sentiment, inventory restocking cycles, overseas supply chain risks, and domestic fundamental supply and demand. I. Upstream: Stable Price Range, Accelerated Shipments Major domestic upstream rhenium producers maintain stable raw material quotations, with the mainstream price range around 28,000. Only a small number of suppliers offer prices as high as around 30,000, forming a clear tiered price structure without major fluctuations. Recently, upstream producers have shown stronger willingness to sell, with a notable increase in shipment frequency. II. Midstream: Scheduled Production, Low Acceptance of High-Priced Ammonium Perrhenate Midstream refineries and rhenium processors are currently operating under scheduled production. Order deliveries are concentrated, with most manufacturers scheduled to fulfill orders in March and April.In terms of cost control and purchasing sentiment, midstream processors generally show low acceptance of high-priced ammonium perrhenate. Buyers tend to negotiate rationally and resist chasing high prices, which directly caps the upward room for ammonium perrhenate prices. III. Downstream: Cooling Investment Sentiment, Steady Recovery in Industrial Demand Downstream demand exhibits significant structural divergence between investment demand and industrial demand, which has become the key factor affecting short-term market sentiment. On the one hand, previously active investment demand has cooled, accompanied by panic selling among retail investors. Increasing low-price sell-offs have emerged in the market as holders offload at discounted prices to accelerate capital turnover, weighing on short-term spot transaction prices. On the other hand, industrial demand has steadily recovered and maintained growth. As the core rigid support for rhenium, the recovery of industrial demand provides a solid fundamental floor, offsetting part of the negative impact from investment-driven sell-offs. IV. Market Outlook Based on the macro environment and industrial supply-demand fundamentals, the domestic rhenium market is in a balanced game between bullish and bearish factors, keeping prices in high-level consolidation. Short-term Outlook Affected by the international macro environment, investment enthusiasm in the energy sector remains high, diverting capital away from non-ferrous metals. The overall weakening investment sentiment in the non-ferrous sector has spilled over to the niche strategic metal rhenium, suppressing investment demand.In addition, most market participants completed phased restocking around the Spring Festival, leaving inventories at relatively sufficient levels. As a result, raw material prices lack upward momentum, with limited room for significant gains in the short term. Long-term Outlook Geopolitical competition over critical minerals is intensifying. Progress in critical minerals negotiations between the U.S. and Chile, along with rising exclusive cooperation in global critical minerals supply chains, has reduced the stability of overseas ammonium perrhenate import channels and raised external supply risks.The expected tightening in ammonium perrhenate supply will provide strong support to market prices.