China's May 2026 Lead-Acid Battery Imports Up 3.28% MoM, 13.62% YoY

[SMM Flash] According to customs data, China's exports of lead-acid batteries in May 2026 reached 20.6522 million units, up 7.73 percentage points MoM and up 2.8 percentage points YoY. Combined exports from January to May 2026 totaled 85.9478 million units, down 8.86 percentage points YoY.

[SMM Flash] Ambler Metals, a 50-50 joint venture between Trilogy Metals and South32, announced the appointment of Ron Rimelman as its new president, underscoring the company's transition from advanced exploration into permitting and future development. Rimelman brings over 40 years of expertise in environmental review and permitting across North America. Concurrently, the company has launched its 2026 field program focused on collecting critical data to support a future construction decision for the high-grade polymetallic project. The centerpiece of this season includes a roughly 40-hole drill program to gather geotechnical and hydrogeological data for engineering and permitting, alongside upgrades and expansions to the Bornite camp. This follows the recent initiation of federal permitting for the Arctic project in Alaska, which has been accepted under the streamlined FAST-41 federal program. Over an initial 12-year mine life, the Arctic project is expected to deliver 1.9 billion lbs. of copper, 2.3 billion lbs. of zinc, 388 million lbs. of lead, 40.6 million oz of silver, and 386,000 oz of gold.