SMM Cobalt Morning Brief: This week, the cobalt industry chain overall consolidated on a subdued note. Refined cobalt spot prices remained stable temporarily. Traders resumed offering, but transactions were still dominated by essential stockpiling, while end-use demand had not yet clearly recovered. Cobalt intermediate products were boosted by news related to DRC. Miners' offers stayed firm, but downstream smelter acceptance was limited, and some traders lowered prices to sell and facilitate deals. Transactions in the cobalt sulphate, cobalt chloride, and Co3O4 markets remained sluggish. Downstream wait-and-see sentiment was strong, and restocking demand had not yet materialized. Cobalt powder prices continued to edge lower, and off-season pressure on hard alloys persisted. Overall, cobalt chain prices may mainly consolidate in the short term, and subsequent recovery will likely need to wait for a rebound in cobalt salt valuations and improvement in downstream demand.

UK battery recycling company Altilium has secured funding under the UK government's Battery Innovation Programme to lead the REMADE project alongside Nyobolt, Talga Group and a leading automotive OEM. The project aims to establish a domestic closed-loop supply chain for low-carbon battery anode materials by recycling graphite and niobium tungsten oxide (NWO) from end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap. The initiative is expected to support sustainable battery production, strengthen the UK's battery supply chain and reduce reliance on imported critical materials.

[Tungsten Flash] SMM July 6 News: A tungsten enterprise in Chongyi announced its long-term contract prices for the first half of July, with the 55% wolframite concentrates long-term contract settled at 448,000 yuan/standard tonne (65%WO3 basis), the 55% scheelite concentrates long-term contract settled at 447,000 yuan/standard tonne (65%WO3 basis), and the mine-side long-term contract prices were reduced by 72,000 yuan/standard tonne (65%WO3 basis) compared with the second half of June. The APT long-term contract settled at 660,000 yuan/mt, down 120,000 yuan/mt from the second half of June.

[Tungsten Flash] SMM, July 6: The Ganzhou Tungsten Association released its forecast average prices for tungsten products for July 2026: 55% wolframite concentrates at 448,000 yuan/standard tonne (65% WO3 basis), down 57,000 yuan/mt from the June quotation; APT at 660,000 yuan/mt, down 100,000 yuan/mt; and medium-grain tungsten powder at 1,100 yuan/kg, down 200 yuan/kg.

[Tungsten News] SMM, July 6: Today, the domestic tungsten raw material market was mainly in the doldrums. Last Friday, a mine in Guangdong auctioned 43 standard tonnes (65% WO3 basis) of low-grade tungsten concentrates, which ultimately failed to attract any bids. Inquiries were sluggish, and with considerable market uncertainty, traders were less willing to enter the market. Smelters mainly restocked based on long-term contracts and rigid demand. Spot orders were concluded at transaction prices below the online price, with some deals done at 430,000–450,000 yuan per standard tonne (65% WO3 basis). According to the SMM survey, China’s tungsten concentrates production edged down MoM in June, mainly because safety inspections in Jiangxi and Hunan caused a slight decline in output at some mines. In addition, some small mines in Henan also reduced or suspended production due to reasons such as the exhaustion of first-half quotas. In July, with the flooding season in south China, tungsten concentrates production was expected to remain at low levels. However, amid sluggish shipments across the industry in Q2, there was still some inventory in the tungsten concentrates market waiting to be cleared. This week, attention will focus on long-term contract information in the industry and changes in downstream restocking sentiment.

In June, global scrap tungsten markets diverged. India followed China's tungsten price rally, with active trading and higher prices in mid-June before cooling as China softened. Europe saw low-level consolidation due to high speculative inventories, but prices began to edge up in late June as stocks cleared. China's tungsten market experienced a sharp rebound followed by a pullback, and is expected to consolidate in the near term, while medium-to-long-term fundamentals remain solid.

SMM News Release, July 3 Domestic molybdenum market saw a trend of correction at the start of June, rally in mid-month and narrow high-level fluctuations at month-end, with mainstream products posting modest gains throughout the month.

"Tin" Leads the Future: Industrial Transformation and Value Reshaping in a New Cycle Conference Background Currently, the global tin industry is at a historic turning point. Traditional cyclical logic has been completely overturned, and its strategic value is fully highlighted. In 2026, the tin market is exhibiting an unprecedentedly complex pattern and profound transformation: 1. Deep Restructuring of Supply-Demand Pattern, Unprecedented Enhancement of Strategic Attributes. The static reserve-production ratio of global tin ore resources is only 14 years, and its scarcity is becoming increasingly pronounced. The supply side faces "triple pressures": repeated reversals in Myanmar's production resumption process, continually tightening policies in Indonesia, and elevated geopolitical risks in the DRC. Resource constraints have become the new normal. At the same time, the demand structure has undergone a fundamental shift. Tin has become a strategic resource bridging traditional manufacturing and the digital future. 2. Price System Breaks Historical Records, Industry Ecosystem Faces Reshaping. In early 2026, SHFE tin prices broke through 470,000 yuan/mt, hitting a record high. This price breakthrough is not only a manifestation of supply-demand imbalance but also a sign of the reassessment of the tin industry's value. Traditional trade models, risk management systems, and supply chain collaboration approaches all urgently need innovative breakthroughs. 3. Technology-Driven and Green Transition Giving Rise to a New Symbiotic Ecosystem. Digital and intelligent technologies are deeply empowering the tin industry chain. The global green transition requires the tin industry to upgrade toward low-carbon and circular economy development. Recycled tin recovery and green smelting processes have become the path forward. Every link in the industry chain must shift from competition to collaboration and build an open, resilient, and innovative symbiotic system. Against this backdrop, August 19-21, 2026 in Changsha, Hunan held 2026 SMM (16th) Tin Industry Chain Conference will gather global industry elites for in-depth discussions. Ganzhou Qianshun New Materials Co., Ltd. will attend this grand event, discuss industry development trends with industry peers, and jointly push the tin industry to new heights. Click to register now and join the conference, witness and participate in this significant and far-reaching industry event, and create a brilliant new chapter together! Ganzhou Qianshun New Materials Co., Ltd. was established in 2018, primarily engaged in the processing and sales of tungsten-tin associated ores, tantalum-niobium associated ores, and other polymetallic complex ores. Contact Information Huang Shaoxin 13617078696 Huang Shaoming 15270620268 Huang Qili 15297821623 Long press to scan the QR code and register now 2026 SMM (16th) Tin Industry Chain Conference

SMM Cobalt Morning Meeting Minutes: This week, the cobalt industry chain overall stopped falling and stabilized. Spot refined cobalt prices rebounded slightly, boosted by policy news from the DRC, and market sentiment recovered somewhat, but actual transactions were still dominated by rigid demand stockpiling. Cobalt intermediate product prices remained stable, with miners’ quotations firm but limited acceptance from downstream smelters, resulting in a significant bid-ask spread. Market transactions for cobalt sulphate, cobalt chloride, and Co3O4 remained sluggish, with strong downstream wait-and-see sentiment and restocking demand not yet significantly released. Cobalt powder prices continued to decline, as off-season pressure on cemented carbide persisted. Ternary cathode precursor prices weakened, while ternary cathode materials rebounded slightly but with limited transactions. LCO demand remained relatively weak.

[Tungsten Flash] On June 24, Tieshanlong Tungsten Company convened relevant personnel from related departments, the construction unit, and the supervision unit to hold a coordination meeting for the first phase of the 396,000 mt expansion project in the Shangping mine area. The meeting conducted in-depth discussions on various preparatory work before construction, with a focus on coordinating key aspects such as construction unit filing, construction drawing delivery, equipment mobilization, and personnel training. Going forward, the company will strictly follow the meeting’s arrangements, coordinate and cooperate with all parties to advance each task according to the scheduled periods, and strive to start project construction as soon as possible.