News

[SMM Express] South Africa's enforcement drive against illegal chrome mining in Limpopo has escalated through mid-2026, with the Hawks arresting five suspects, aged 43 to 50, at an illegal chrome mining site in the Thabazimbi policing area on 12–13 July. The operation, run by the Limpopo Serious Organized Crime Investigation team alongside local SAPS units, the Criminal Record Centre and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, resulted in charges of illegal mining and contravening environmental law; the suspects appeared at the Thabazimbi Magistrate's Court on 14 July. The arrests form part of a broader, active pattern rather than an isolated incident. In late May, the Asset Forfeiture Unit secured a R4.5 million forfeiture order covering trucks and trailers linked to illegal chrome mining in the Sekhukhune district, and in early July a separate court ruling allowed authorities to seize seven trucks loaded with chrome ore from another illegal operation. Together, the cases point to sustained, coordinated action across Limpopo's chrome belt targeting the trucks, sites and proceeds tied to unlicensed chrome extraction.

As of this Friday, SiMn 6517 (cash) was 5,650-5,700 yuan/mt in north China, flat WoW; in south China, SiMn 6517 (cash) was 5,700-5,750 yuan/mt, unchanged WoW from last Friday; south China SiMn 6014 (cash) was 5,350-5,400 yuan/mt, flat WoW. Recently, SiMn futures moved sideways in a weak trend, market sentiment was heavily cautious, prices fell, and futures prices were basically in sync with spot prices.

July 31 report: North China ports: 46% Australian lumps 40.5-41 yuan/mtu, down WoW; South African semi-carbonate 33.5-34 yuan/mtu, down WoW; Gabonese 38.3-38.7 yuan/mtu, down WoW; South African high-iron 28.8-29.3 yuan/mtu, down WoW; South African medium-iron 36-36.5 yuan/mtu, flat WoW. South China ports: 46% Australian lumps 42.9-43.4 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; South African semi-carbonate 36.5-37 yuan/mtu, down WoW; Gabonese 41.1-41.6 yuan/mtu, up WoW; South African high-iron 31.2-31.7 yuan/mtu, down WoW; South African medium-iron 38-38.5 yuan/mtu, flat WoW. Manganese ore prices continue to grind lower, end-use demand remains weak, and it is common for traders to sell at lower prices.

July 31, 2026 - This week, ferrochrome market trading was stagnant and prices fell; the chrome ore market was sluggish, with limited inquiries......

[Tungsten Flash] July 31, according to SMM data, in July 2026, the SMM 65% wolframite concentrates monthly average price was approximately 430,100 yuan/standard tonne (65% WO3 basis), down 14.7% MoM. The SMM APT monthly average price in July was approximately 634,000 yuan/mt, down 17.6% MoM. The SMM scrap tungsten bars monthly average price in July was 678.3 yuan/kg (ex-tax), down 10.3% MoM.

[SMM Titanium Flash] SMM, July 31 — In July 2026, China's titanium dioxide production was 338,700 mt, down 1.59% MoM but up 1.50% YoY, with cumulative production down 5.74% YoY, and July production edged down. On the inventory side, producer inventories reached 306,800 mt in July, up 23.26% MoM but down 22.01% YoY. Sluggish demand from downstream coatings, plastics and other industries led to high inventories at enterprises. To ease inventory pressure, small and medium-sized producers took the lead in cutting prices to sell. Falling prices combined with cost pressure deepened enterprises' losses, eventually leading to production cuts and shutdowns at some enterprises, with the industry operating rate edging down slightly.

[SMM Titanium Express] SMM July 31: China's sponge titanium production reached 27,100 tonnes in July 2026, up 5.45% month-on-month and 17.49% year-on-year, with cumulative growth of 12.26%. Operating rates remained at high levels. Prices for Grade 0 sponge titanium were quoted at RMB 45,000-46,000/ton, down approximately RMB 3,000/ton month-on-month, amid weak summer demand and sluggish exports, with rising inventories putting pressure on prices. Downstream buyers had considerable room for negotiation in a soft market.

Sentiment in China’s battery-grade manganese sulfate market has gradually returned to rationality, as the flood-related factors that previously lifted prices in Guangxi continue to ease.In early July, continuous heavy rainfall and floods hit major production areas in Guangxi. Rising river levels and disrupted logistics forced multiple manganese sulfate producers to suspend operations for safety inspections and equipment maintenance, triggering a temporary shrinkage of available spot supply.

Domestic lithium manganate market edged down slightly before stabilizing this week. Its price movement is highly correlated with lithium carbonate, lacking independent driving factors. Major producers maintain steady operation and prioritize deliveries to long-term clients. Ample supplies remain in the market without large-scale production cuts.

[Scrap Aluminum and Secondary Aluminum Weekly Review: Cost-Driven Price Strengthening, High-Temperature Holiday Drags Demand, ADC12 Gains Constrained] This week, ADC12 market prices first stabilized and then rose. SMM ADC12 prices held steady at 24,000 yuan/mt early in the week, were raised for two consecutive days mid-week driven by costs, and stood at 24,200 yuan/mt as of Thursday, up 200 yuan/mt from last Thursday. The cost side remained the core driver of this week's price increase.

China sulphuric acid market continues weak, regional declines widen, index falls [SMM Sulphuric Acid Weekly Review]

[SMM Titanium Flash] SMM, July 31: Recently, titanium concentrate prices have continued to weaken, with titanium concentrate (TiO2≥46%) prices down to 1,280-1,330 yuan/mt and titanium concentrate (TiO2≥47%) down to 1,550-1,650 yuan/mt. In H1 2026, China's cumulative imports of titanium concentrates reached 2.9288 million mt, up 13.56% YoY, marking significant import growth. Meanwhile, domestic ore capacity in regions such as Xinjiang and Chengde was also being released with incremental growth, further exacerbating the market oversupply. On the demand side, the titanium dioxide industry is in the off-season, coupled with persistently falling TiO2 prices. Some enterprises have suspended or cut production and are pushing for lower raw material prices, weighing on market sentiment for upstream titanium concentrates. Overall, the strong supply and weak demand pattern is unlikely to change in the short term, and imported titanium concentrate prices are expected to remain under pressure.