The European Commission has approved Slovakia’s EUR 1 billion state aid scheme to support clean technology manufacturing, including key components and related critical raw materials. The scheme covers strategic projects in batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, electrolyzers and carbon capture, usage and storage, in line with the EU’s NZIA objectives. Approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework, the aid will be provided through grants and income tax relief to support investment by SMEs and large enterprises until Dec. 31, 2030.

Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization has submitted a proposal to deploy 15GW of small-scale solar plants across residential, commercial and agricultural sectors. SATBA said both domestic manufacturing and equipment imports will be needed to support rapid installations, while additional financing support for home solar systems has also been proposed. The program will focus on rooftop, home, commercial and agricultural PV systems, with standardized packages including solar panels, hybrid inverters and batteries. SMM believes Iran is shifting part of its renewable strategy from large-scale plants toward distributed and small-scale solar-plus-storage systems, with equipment supply, financing mechanisms and installation training becoming key factors for implementation.

Ingka Investments, the investment arm of the largest IKEA retailer Ingka Group, has acquired its first two operational solar parks in Spain, expanding its renewable energy footprint across the Iberian market. The acquisition includes the La Oliva Solar Farm in Toledo and a second project in Murcia, which are expected to generate 51 GWh and 55 GWh annually, respectively. Combined, the two facilities will pump 106 GWh of clean electricity into the grid each year. This move builds on Ingka Group's broader strategy to green its value chain, following a 440 MW solar capacity purchase in Germany and Spain in 2022. It also complements Ingka Investments' recent project in Portugal, where the company hybridized an existing wind farm with solar panels. Together, these new Spanish assets and the upgraded Portuguese site are projected to drive the group's total Iberian renewable energy output to 323 GWh per year. To date, Ingka Group has invested or committed a staggering €4.3 billion globally into renewable energy initiatives.

On June 5, 2026, Helios Horizon achieved the world’s first crewed fixed-wing flight powered by solid-state batteries. The test validated solid-state technology in real aviation conditions, showing a 60% energy density improvement (410 Wh/kg) and 15‑minute fast charging. While cost and certification remain challenges, the milestone recalibrates industry expectations and offers a clearer path forward for electric aviation.

[SMM Steel] Swedish steelmaker SSAB announced it supplied low-emission steel for a Vattenfall solar park project in Germany, reflecting growing demand for decarbonized steel in renewable energy infrastructure. More than 9,000 SSAB Zero steel profiles with combined weight of 209 tonnes will be used in solar panel support structures. The company said the steel was produced using low-emission steelmaking technologies aimed at significantly reducing carbon emissions versus conventional blast furnace production.

Steep price reversal: Silver plunged nearly 11% and gold turned volatile after India hiked import duties to 15%, reversing initial post-hike gains. Policy-driven impact: The government raised duties to curb imports, protect forex reserves, and support the rupee amid the West Asia crisis. Market outlook: Higher tariffs may hurt demand, slow industrial imports, and prompt smuggling, while global inflation and dollar strength keep pressure on bullion. Immediate market reaction to duty hike The import duty increase from 6% to 15% on gold and silver triggered a dramatic reversal in silver prices, with MCX silver plunging nearly 11% or ₹32,624 per kilogram in just two sessions. Gold prices also turned volatile, with spot gold trading around 4% below its recent peak as inflation data and a stronger US dollar sapped momentum. The initial rally from higher landed costs was quickly erased as traders booked profits and demand weakened at elevated prices. Economic and policy rationale behind the hike The Finance Ministry's move to restore the earlier higher duty structure aims to curb non-essential imports, safeguard foreign exchange reserves, and support macroeconomic stability amid the West Asia crisis. Officials highlighted the need to prioritise forex for essential imports like crude oil and fertilisers, noting the rupee’s record low this year. The hike follows Prime Minister Modi’s call for citizens to avoid non-essential gold purchases, reversing 2024’s duty cuts intended to curb smuggling and aid the jewellery sector. Live Mint + 4 "The increase in customs duty on imports of gold, and precious metals announced by the government is aimed at safeguarding macroeconomic stability and conserving foreign exchange reserves. The measures have been taken also to moderate non-essential imports during a period of heightened global uncertainty arising from the ongoing West Asia crisis." Fortune India Why volatility matters for India’s bullion market India, the world’s largest silver importer and second-largest gold consumer, faces potential demand destruction as higher tariffs lift local prices. Silver’s significant industrial demand—from solar panels to EVs—means it is trading more like an industrial commodity, making it sensitive to growth concerns from elevated oil prices. Analysts warn that reduced official imports could revive smuggling and dampen both jewellery and industrial demand, especially if geopolitical tensions keep inflation risks high. The Economic Times + 4 Short- and long-term outlook In the short term, bullion prices may remain range-bound as profit booking offsets structural support from central bank purchases and ETF inflows. Over the longer term, silver retains strong global demand drivers from AI infrastructure, green energy, and electronics, though a weaker economic outlook could limit gains. Policymakers face the challenge of balancing macroeconomic stability with potential social and market disruptions from sharp tax interventions. The Economic Times + 4 Source： https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/insight/gold-and-silver-prices-tumble-after-steep-import-duty-hike

Gold and silver market update — May 11, 2026 Key Takeaways The gold/silver ratio measures how many ounces of silver it takes to buy one ounce of gold — as of May 11, 2026, it stands at 54.94, down from 62.05 just one week earlier Silver surged 7.1% to $86.10/oz today while gold barely moved at $4,730 — the catalyst is a US-China 90-day tariff truce that directly reprices silver’s industrial demand outlook (prices per nFusion Solutions, ~3:49 PM ET) According to the Silver Institute, silver has run a supply deficit for six consecutive years, with roughly 762 million troy ounces drawn from above-ground stockpiles since 2021 — the structural case for silver was in place long before this week The gold/silver ratio measures how many ounces of silver it takes to buy one ounce of gold. When it falls, silver is outperforming. Right now it’s falling fast — from 62.05 a week ago to 54.94 today — after silver surged 7.1% to $86.10 on a US-China tariff truce. That kind of compression in under a week is rare. It tends to happen when a catalyst hits a metal that was already primed to move. Silver was primed: according to the Silver Institute, it has run a supply deficit for six consecutive years. What Is the Gold/Silver Ratio — and What Does 54.94 Actually Mean? The gold silver ratio doesn’t tell you whether to buy. It tells you relative value. A ratio of 55 means one ounce of gold currently buys 55 ounces of silver, while at 88 — where it stood in early 2024 — silver was cheap relative to gold. The lower the ratio, the more ground silver has reclaimed. In normal markets, the ratio has historically ranged from roughly 40 to 80. Extremes revert. It hit 125 in March 2020 — a pandemic-panic outlier — before compressing back to the mid-60s by August of that year. At 54.94 today, the ratio is near the low end of its historical range. That’s not a buy signal. It’s context: silver has already closed a lot of ground, which makes the next directional move meaningful. Why Is Silver Outperforming Gold Right Now? Two forces hit silver simultaneously this week. They reinforce each other. The first force is trade: the US and China announced a 90-day tariff truce over the weekend. US tariffs on Chinese goods dropped from 145% to 30%; Chinese tariffs on US goods fell from 125% to 10%. For gold, that news is roughly neutral. Silver, however, gets a direct demand signal. According to the Silver Institute, approximately 60% of silver’s annual consumption is industrial — solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and semiconductors. Most of that supply chain runs through China. When the tariffs came down, traders immediately repriced silver’s demand outlook. The 7% single-session move is that repricing happening in real time. Underlying that trade catalyst is a second, structural force. According to the Silver Institute, silver has run a supply deficit for six consecutive years — the world consumes more than it mines. The 2026 deficit is projected at 46.3 million ounces, up 15% from 2025. Since 2021, roughly 762 million troy ounces have been drawn from above-ground stockpiles. The trade truce lit the match. Six years of deficits was the fuel. Has a Ratio This Low Ever Predicted a Bigger Silver Move? It has — though the setup matters as much as the level. The clearest recent parallel is 2020, when the pandemic pushed the ratio to 125 in March — an extreme by any historical measure. As the shock faded, silver rallied roughly 45% over the following months while the ratio compressed back to the mid-60s by August. The starting point this time is far less extreme. But the direction and velocity are similar. The fair pushback: a 90-day truce is not a trade deal. If US-China negotiations break down before the deadline, silver’s industrial demand thesis softens and the ratio can re-expand quickly. That’s a real risk. But six years of supply deficits, documented by the Silver Institute, don’t evaporate on a failed negotiation. The structural bid existed before this week. All the truce did was remove a ceiling — it didn’t create the floor. What Does the Ratio Tell Long-Term Precious Metals Holders? Not what to do today — what to understand about where we are. Silver’s dual nature is the point. It’s part monetary metal, part industrial feedstock. When real yields fall, gold tends to lead. As industrial activity picks up, silver tends to overshoot. Right now both conditions are present, which is why silver is moving faster. A ratio of 54.94 means silver has been closing the gap with gold since early 2024, when it sat at 88. Fiat currency systems erode purchasing power gradually, through inflation and monetary expansion. Gold and silver both resist that erosion — but they don’t always move in lockstep. The ratio is the scoreboard. Right now, silver is catching up. That’s not alarming. That’s the system working the way it’s supposed to. Prices as of May 11, 2026, approximately 3:49 PM ET. Source： https://goldsilver.com/industry-news/goldsilver-news/why-the-gold-silver-ratio-is-falling-and-what-it-means/

The Argentine government recently enacted Decree 242/2026, establishing the Medium-Sized Investment Incentive Regime (RIMI) to bolster energy efficiency and renewables. The decree offers significant fiscal benefits, including accelerated depreciation and early VAT refunds, for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) investing in solar panels, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and high-efficiency equipment. This policy move is designed to stimulate private investment amidst limited traditional financing, further optimizing the amortization process for industrial and commercial solar adopters across the country.

The rally that propelled gold and silver to record-breaking highs in 2025 could pick up again if a U.S.-Iran peace deal is reached, market watchers told CNBC as prices ticked higher on Thursday.

Gold has been pulled in two directions in recent weeks. On one side, rising oil prices and escalating geopolitical tensions have strengthened the metal’s safe-haven appeal.