[SMM New Energy] Sunwoda Issues RMB4.5 Billion Mega Order

【U.S. Issues Black Mass Export Rule, Restrictions Effective Aug 27】 The U.S. Department of Commerce on August 5 published the Interim Final Rule implementing export restrictions on black mass and tungsten scrap, following President Trump's Executive Order signed on July 30. The rule will take effect on August 27, 2026, and remain in force until August 27, 2027. During this period, exports of the covered materials will be subject to new U.S. export control requirements, with certain exports requiring authorization or meeting specified conditions. The U.S. government said the measure aims to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply and support the country's battery recycling and critical minerals industries.

In July, the sodium-ion battery materials market sustained strong momentum, with both cathode and anode segments showing clear signs of “robust demand, strained capacity.” Orders from downstream battery cell manufacturers continued to surge, particularly as the penetration rate of the polyanion route in energy storage applications accelerated, pushing upstream material enterprises to near-full-capacity operations.

Samsung SDI announced on August 4 that it will strengthen its push into the AI data center battery backup unit (BBU) market with cylindrical batteries that offer space efficiency, high output and safety. The company plans to expand the application of its cylindrical batteries from power tools and home appliances to BBUs for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.