[SMM Aluminum Express News] Assan Alüminyum has acquired an aluminum foil facility in West Virginia through Kibar Americas, marking its entry as a local producer in the United States. The move strengthens its global footprint and competitiveness, aligning with its strategy focused on sustainability, digitalization, and international expansion. Strategically, the investment reflects a shift toward localized production amid changing global trade dynamics, while enhancing its ability to serve North American customers. The facility will produce foil for automotive, HVAC, packaging, and industrial applications, supporting expansion into key end-use markets.

On 1 April, the Indian iron ore miner NMDC officially published its production and sales performance report for the 2025-2026 The report demonstrates that full-year iron ore production reached 53.15 million tonnes, representing a year-on-year increase of 20.6 per cent and a substantial uplift from the 44.07 million tonnes recorded in the previous financial year. Over the same period, total iron ore sales volumes amounted to 50.23 million tonnes, marking a 13.1 per cent expansion compared to the 44.40 million tonnes registered in the prior year. This enhanced operational performance is primarily attributed to the steady growth and robust execution across the company's mining assets located in the states of Chhattisgarh and Karnataka.

[SMM Rare Earth Flash] An SMM survey showed that total production of Pr-Nd alloy across the industry reached 7,592 mt in March 2026, with the average operating rate at 69.8%, up 7.36% MoM and up 0.7% YoY. Production of Pr-Nd alloy was expected to be 7,699 mt in April, with the average operating rate at 70.9%. It was learned that the core reasons for the rise in the operating rate of Pr-Nd alloy from March to April were the return of normal operations at metal enterprises in March, coupled with the impact of capacity ramp-up at expansion projects in Inner Mongolia.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Vedanta Aluminium is advancing a major expansion in Odisha with a planned investment of around ₹1.8 lakh crore (~US$21–22 billion), reinforcing its strategy to scale up an integrated aluminum value chain. The project includes a 3 MTPA aluminum smelter, 6 MTPA alumina refinery, and a 4,900 MW captive power plant, alongside downstream facilities—strengthening its position as a fully integrated producer.

On the first day of the ESIE 2026 Energy Storage Exhibition, Zhejiang Star Energy New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and Xiamen Hithium Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd. signed a "Strategic Cooperation Agreement." The two parties agreed to establish a strategic procurement partnership for cell products from 2026 to 2028, with an estimated total procurement volume of 30GWh over the next three years, laying a solid foundation for the large-scale expansion of the company's energy storage business. This cooperation represents an important choice made by both parties based on industrial trends, market opportunities, and a consensus on collaborative development. It also marks a new milestone for Star Energy New Energy in market development, business layout, and industrial synergy.

Australian mining company BHP has outlined a global pipeline of copper projects that could expand its production capacity by 1.8–2 million tonnes over the next decade, in response to rising global demand. BHP also projects that global copper demand will increase from approximately 34 million tonnes per year in 2026 to more than 50 million tonnes by 2050.

Iron phosphate negotiations in April were deadlocked, with offers hitting 13,000 yuan/mt. The price surge appeared raw-material driven, but in fact reflected pricing power shifting upstream after a reversal in supply-demand fundamentals. Downstream buyers cited “cost increases” to push back, yet conveniently forgot the upstream losses quietly absorbed over the past three years. This was never about simple cost pass-through—it was a restructuring of profit distribution across the chain.

New Delhi quietly renewed BIS certification waivers through September 2026, even as it talks tough on Chinese overcapacity. The contradiction reveals more about India's industrial gaps than its trade policy convictions

Hindustan Copper will build a 3 MTPA copper concentrator plant at its Malanjkhand project, aiming to scale up output and reduce India’s heavy reliance on copper imports. The project is expected to be completed within 27 months as part of a broader expansion strategy.

[Hyundai Motor Steps Up Its EV Push in China Amid US Tariff Pressure] South Korea’s Hyundai Motor is intensifying its EV strategy in China, setting an aggressive target of selling more than 40,000 NEVs this year in a bid to reduce its reliance on the US market as US tariff pressure continues to mount. According to industry sources, Hyundai Motor plans to raise NEV production at its joint venture Beijing Hyundai to 41,500 units in 2026, up more than 33-fold YoY; by then, the share of new energy car models in total production will surge from just 0.6% last year to about 20%. Hyundai Motor has also set its total sales target in China for this year, including exports, at 218,000 units, up 10.8% from 2025.