Britain’s growing aluminium scrap exports are raising concerns about the long-term availability of a critical raw material for domestic industries. According to Make UK, aluminium scrap exports reached 624,314 tonnes in 2025, up 43% from 2016 levels, while shipments to India increased 94% to nearly 199,000 tonnes. Exports to the US surged 989% year-on-year to 23,560 tonnes after aluminium scrap was excluded from Section 232 tariff measures. Make UK estimates the UK could require up to 6 million tonnes of recyclable aluminium scrap to support total aluminium demand of 8 million tonnes by 2035. The organisation warned that continued scrap outflows could weaken domestic manufacturing, discourage investment and reduce supply chain resilience. It called for greater investment in scrap collection, sorting and processing infrastructure, improved recycling standards and measures to retain critical aluminium alloys within the UK’s circular economy.

Australian mining company Canyon Resources has refined the development timeline for its Minim Martap bauxite project in Cameroon’s Adamawa region, with the first shipment of bauxite now expected by the end of the third quarter of 2026, around late September. The project is being developed through Canyon’s local subsidiary, Camalco. Before exports can begin, the company must complete a logistics network connecting the mine to Cameroon’s railway system and the Port of Douala. According to the company’s latest update, the first seven locomotives allocated to the project are expected to arrive at the Port of Douala by the end of the second quarter of 2026. The first batch of railcars is scheduled to arrive in July, ahead of the planned start of commercial exports. Rail transport forms a crucial part of the project. Camalco has ordered 22 diesel locomotives from Chinese manufacturer CRRC Ziyang Co. Ltd. and placed an initial order for 560 open-top railcars with India’s Texmaco Rail & Engineering Limited. The agreement also includes an option to acquire an additional 1,040 railcars over the next five years. These rail assets will be used to transport bauxite from Minim Martap to the Port of Douala for export. The deposit is also known for its high-quality ore, containing around 51 per cent alumina and about 2 per cent silica, characteristics that are highly valued by alumina refiners and aluminium producers.

Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi gold-copper mine in Mongolia announced on social media the resumption of copper concentrate shipments. The mine had announced the previous day that from 9 a.m. local time on June 17, civil groups blocked a concentrate transport route at the mine, causing a halt to planned concentrate shipments. Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world’s most important copper mine projects and is critical to Rio Tinto’s copper sales growth strategy. The mine is still ramping up to operate at full capacity and is expected to become the world’s fourth-largest operating copper mine. Meanwhile, the project is also vital to Mongolia’s economy, with its exports accounting for a significant portion of the country’s GDP.

SMM News Flash: [Steel Billet] Export billet offers fell by 3-4USD/tonne today to around $470/mt. Inquiries from outside China decreased, orders declined, and the actual negotiation margin for transactions was around 5USD/tonne. Market intelligence indicated that Iran recently took orders for billets, offering significant price advantages, which diverted some Middle Eastern orders to Iran. Additionally, billet export prices from some neighboring countries were lower than those in China, so overseas buyers remained cautious in the short term, which would limit export transactions. [Rebar] Rebar export FOB offers edged down by 2USD/tonne today, tracking futures. According to traders, market sentiment was subdued and inquiries were mediocre. Offers for southern China resources were maintained at 520-525USD/tonne, which were relatively high. [HRC] HRC export prices fell by 1-2USD/tonne day-on-day today, with transaction prices at 494-503USD/tonne. Based on current inquiries, market offers remained mostly above 500USD/tonne, with shipment periods from July to August. Some overseas buyers made inquiries, but their target prices were more than 5USD/tonne below offers.

June 18: North China ports: South African high-iron manganese ore: 31.4-32.1 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; South African semi-carbonate: 37.5-38 yuan/mtu, down WoW; Gabonese ore: 40.6-41 yuan/mtu, down WoW; 46% Australian lumps: 43.3-43.8 yuan/mtu, down WoW; South African medium-iron ore: 37.5-38 yuan/mtu, flat WoW. South China ports: South African high-iron manganese ore: 34.1-34.6 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; South African semi-carbonate: 36.5-37 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; Gabonese ore: 41-41.5 yuan/mtu, down WoW; 46% Australian lumps: 43.5-44 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; South African medium-iron ore: 37-37.5 yuan/mtu, flat WoW. The manganese ore market remains stable but stagnant, with sluggish end-use demand and a dominant wait-and-see sentiment in trading.

[Producer Daily Output Increase Covers Maintenance Reduction; Transaction Recovery Fails to Halt Factory Inventory Buildup] During June 12-18, magnesium weekly output rose WoW, with maintenance at some enterprises not offsetting the supply increase. Factory inventory edged up slightly, while social inventory diverged, as producing regions destocked and port inventories built up. Weak exports put short-term supply-demand under pressure.

SMM, June 18: Lead prices first rose then fell this week. At the beginning of the week, smelters showed clear divergence in shipments, with secondary refined lead quoted at discounts of 25 yuan/mt to premiums of 125 yuan/mt. Downstream battery plants digested inventories, weakening transactions. Mid-week, increased maintenance at smelters tightened supply, and mainstream quotations shifted to discounts of 50-0 yuan/mt. Towards the weekend, lead prices pulled back slightly, with the discount range remaining unchanged. Ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, downstream users halted procurement early, with a strong wait-and-see sentiment prevailing. Spot transactions were sluggish throughout the week. Lead prices rose by 345 yuan/mt on a weekly basis. Downstream users turned wait-and-see before the Dragon Boat Festival, and transactions for secondary refined lead were subdued. Smelters' raw material inventories declined, but they were reluctant to raise purchase prices for feed, leaving scrap battery purchase prices basically stable. As of June 18, large secondary lead enterprises suffered losses of 395 yuan/mt, while small and medium-sized plants incurred losses of 597 yuan/mt, narrowing by 113-115 yuan/mt compared with June 12. Looking ahead, with both production increases and cuts coexisting among secondary smelters, the quotation range for refined lead is expected to remain between discounts of 50 yuan/mt and premiums of 50 yuan/mt. Currently, low raw material inventories at smelters underpin scrap battery prices, but raising purchase prices for feed would exacerbate losses. Purchase prices are expected to remain predominantly stable. With weak finished product prices and high costs, the industry's loss-making situation is unlikely to improve in the short term, with small and medium-sized plants suffering more severe losses.

[SMM Silicone Weekly Review: DMC Transaction Center Shifts Down Again amid Stalemate in Tug-of-War Between Upstream and Downstream] This week, the supply-demand stalemate in China’s silicone DMC market intensified, and prices again appeared stable on the surface but declined in reality, with mainstream transaction prices at 14,000-14,300 yuan/mt, averaging 14,150 yuan/mt.

[Weekly Review of Aluminum Scrap and Secondary Aluminum]Pre-Holiday Stockpiling Fell Through, Supply and Demand in Secondary Aluminum Market Both Remained Weak

[SMM Lithium Battery Anode Raw Material Market Weekly Review: Integrated Capacity Gap Supports Artificial Graphite Strength, Weak Demand and Cost Floor Keep Natural Graphite Stable] June 18 News: This week, artificial graphite anode material prices remained stable. Cost and profit side, the cost pressure caused by earlier price increases in raw materials and outsourced processing has gradually eased.