On July 27, Xinjiang Xihai New Energy New Materials Co., Ltd. announced a planned maintenance shutdown of its A-line lithium carbonate production line from July 28 to August 31, lasting 35 days, with production expected to resume on September 1. The overhaul involves repairs to core equipment such as rotary kilns and evaporators, as well as upgrades to feeding platforms and acid adjustment tanks. The shutdown is estimated to reduce output by about 2,000 tons. Existing orders will be delayed until after maintenance, while sales services remain operational.

In H1, the industry showed distinct characteristics: upstream raw material imports experienced a mix of hot and cold trends, while mid-and downstream aluminum processing product exports saw explosive growth. Diverging domestic and overseas demand, shifting overseas manufacturing orders, and changes in the overseas raw material supply landscape are jointly reshaping the trade pattern of China's aluminum industry chain.

NLMK Group is a top-20 global and the No.1 Russian steelmaker. Its 2025 annual report tells a defensive one built on vertical integration and rock-bottom costs — holding volumes and liquidity under the combined squeeze of shrinking demand, record Chinese exports and a stronger rouble, while keeping decarbonization options open through a roadmap that reaches to 2050.

The European Commission plans to overhaul its Emissions Trading System on July 17 to balance climate targets with economic interests. The draft proposal extends carbon allowances into the 2040s and grants an extra €6 billion in free permits to heat producers, fuel users, and CBAM-covered businesses beyond 2034. It also recommends slowing the mandatory annual 4.3% emissions cut by lowering the linear reduction factor. In return, member states must use carbon revenues to fund local green technologies, international offset projects, and cleaner energy transitions.

Tokyo Steel plans to modify its hot-dip galvanized coil line at Okayama Works into a dual-purpose line that also produces cold-rolled coils. The ~10 billion yen ($70m) investment will enable annual output of 250,000 tonnes for both coil types. The galvanizing line will shut down for three months from Dec 2026 to Feb 2027. Trial runs begin March 2027, with commercial production scheduled for April 2027.

Kametstal halted BF No.1M on July 1 for its largest maintenance project of 2026, a Class II major overhaul focused on replacing refractory lining of the shaft, hearth, and air heaters, partially renewing cooling system elements, and fully replacing charging equipment. Repair crews are currently dismantling machinery and clearing residual melting products. The team will apply successful practices from last year's BF No.9 overhaul. The project aims to restore equipment reliability, stabilize operations, and meet production targets within schedule.

measures to support the country's steel industry, which it described as facing an "emergency situation" driven by global overcapacity, including raising import tariffs on a wide range of upstream and downstream steel products by between 10% and 30% to align with South Africa's WTO bound rates. The measures aim to protect domestic producers such as ArcelorMittal South Africa and Columbus Stainless, boost demand for locally made steel, and accelerate the sector's transition to greener production technologies. The announcement comes as South African steel exporters simultaneously face tighter access to the EU market following the bloc's July 1 safeguard overhaul, which cut duty-free quotas and imposed a 50% tariff on volumes above quota. South Africa has also separately sought an extension of a 90-day pause on threatened US reciprocal tariffs of 31% on its exports, which was due to expire around July 9. Details of the state-led revival plan's implementation timeline were not fully specified

The high-purity manganese sulfate market staged a segmented performance in the first half of 2026, rallying in Q1 before slipping into corrective volatility in Q2. Q1 prices were buoyed by cost advantages and export policies, while Q2 came under pressure amid slack seasonal demand and expanded supply. Nevertheless, prices avoided a steep decline thanks to persistently high upstream raw material prices and the cushion of long-term orders, only fluctuating within a narrow band.

In July, the planned rebar production was 7.428 million mt, down 389,700 mt from June's actual production, a decrease of 4.98%. Average daily output of rebar in July stood at 239,600 mt, down 8.05% MoM. In July, the planned wire rod production was 3.197 million mt, up 18,700 mt from June's actual production, an increase of 0.59%. However, the average daily output of wire rod in July was 103,100 mt, down 2.66% MoM. In July, the sample steel mills' long product export schedule reached 653,000 mt, down 41,000 mt MoM. Among this, the steel billet export schedule was 350,000 mt, down 30,000 mt MoM.

Published on June 30, 2026 According to a report published over the weekend, Chinese officials are considering an overhaul to the country’s gold import/export regulations to “ streamline administration, facilitate trade, and improve the management of gold carried across the border by individuals. ” Under the current import/export framework, officials from the General Administration of Customs and the People’s Bank of China “ jointly formulate rules for individuals carrying or mailing gold and gold products across the border. ” The new plan would apparently end the Chinese central bank’s involvement in gold import/export rulemaking while “ such cross-border movements will remain subject to customs supervision .” According to the report, the new import/export regime was “ jointly formulated with the General Administration of Customs to update the existing regulatory framework in line with evolving economic conditions, legal requirements and policy adjustments. ” The report didn’t detail the new regulations, but it appears the aim is to make gold imports and exports more streamlined and convenient for individuals and businesses. According to the report, “ The revisions also seek to improve convenience for businesses and the public by formalizing measures that have proven effective in practice. ” “In addition, the draft would strengthen ex-ante supervision by clarifying the scope of customs oversight, enhancing supervision of foreign trade companies acting as agents, and improving the penalty framework for violations, according to the central bank.” Generally speaking, fewer hands in the regulatory pie mean a lighter regulatory burden, and many observers believe the new framework will at least modestly streamline the gold import/export process. Chinese investment demand was a significant driver during the bull market last year, and gold continued to flow into the country through the early months of 2026. In May, Chinese gold imports hit a 2-year high . Of 163 tonnes. That pushed year-to-date gold imports to 692 tonnes, a 76 percent increase over the same period last year. World Gold Council Ray Jia said, “ The positive local gold price spread remained a key factor in encouraging imports. ” Chinese buying helped push gold bar and coin demand to a 12-year high of 1,374.1 tonnes last year. In value terms, global bar and coin demand was a record-breaking $154 billion. More than half of last year’s global coin and bar demand came from two countries – China and India. The surge in Asian investment demand helped drive prices to record levels in January. It has since cooled as inflation fears and higher interest rate expectations have created headwinds for the gold market . The Shanghai Gold Benchmark Price dropped 2.7 percent last month, as yuan strength exacerbated the general downward trend in gold prices. Chinese gold ETFs reported outflows of metal for the first time since August 2025 last month, but there still appears to be a strong appetite for physical gold. Guangzhou Southern Gold Market Academy research analyst Song Jiangzhen told Bloomberg that demand for physical bullion bars and inflows of metal into gold accumulation plans are supporting demand. Accumulation plans, such as Money Metals' monthly purchase plan , allow investors to buy gold incrementally through regular monthly payments. Looking ahead, Jia said that seasonal factors should continue to support the Chinese gold market as jewelers restock after the holiday season. “The lower gold price may help boost these re-stocking activities, although jewelers may sit on the sidelines if the price weakness accelerates.” However, Jia said bullion buying could slow if the price continues to slide. source： https://www.moneymetals.com/news/2026/06/30/chinese-officials-float-plan-to-streamline-gold-importexport-rules