China’s trade restrictions on strategic minerals are starting to hit Western companies where it hurts. Blaming Beijing’s curbs on antimony exports announced in August, German chemicals and consumer goods heavyweight Henkel told customers last month it had declared force majeure and suspended deliveries of four types of adhesives and lubricants widely used by automakers, according […]
Battery Metals
Lower-cost sodium-ion batteries are finally having their moment
Sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage are moving toward the mainstream. Wider use of these batteries could lead to lower costs, less fire risk, and less need for lithium, cobalt, and nickel. On November 18, CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, announced its second-generation sodium-ion battery, mass production of which would begin in […]
Chile doubles number of lithium sites open to investment
Chile has designated six more sites where private companies are eligible to extract lithium, adding to six previously announced, the mining ministry said on Thursday. Chile, the world’s No. 2 lithium producer, in September announced the first batch of priority areas for new lithium extraction projects to be led by private companies. Chile’s government has […]
Eos Energy lands $304M DOE loan for battery plant expansion
Eos Energy Enterprises closed on a $303.5 million loan guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, the manufacturer of zinc-based long duration energy storage systems said Monday. Eos plans to use the loan to expand its capacity at a battery manufacturing plant in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, to 8 GWh annually by 2027 […]
Trump tariffs could reshape global copper landscape
Whether the incoming Trump administration will quickly follow through with 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico or whether the surprisingly stiff trade sanctions are more of a negotiating tactic won’t become clear for months. A review of the US–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) was scheduled for 2026 but could be pulled forward since the tariffs […]
Zinc’s wild week may signal volatile era as supplies squeezed
Zinc could see more sharp price swings as growing tightness along the metal’s supply chain leaves buyers exposed to sudden changes in availability. The material used to galvanize steel had a turbulent time on the London Metal Exchange last week, finishing almost 5% higher despite a 2.5% slump on Thursday. The spike was fueled by […]
