Hyundai Motor Launches IONIQ 9 Black Ink in Europe

On August 11, CATL and Longzhou Shares signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties will strengthen cooperation in areas such as vehicle aftermarket services, the establishment of urban-level battery swap networks, and battery swapping for public buses and passenger transport vehicles, jointly promoting the low-carbon transformation of regional transportation. In this cooperation, CATL will introduce power battery inspection, maintenance, and repair services. Additionally, leveraging Longzhou Group's existing 70 charging stations and approximately 240 charging piles, CATL will assist in deploying a battery swap network, providing a more flexible and convenient diversified energy replenishment system integrating both charging and swapping for new energy vehicles in the Longyan area. The two parties will also collaborate on direct battery procurement in the power battery aftermarket, offering battery replacement services for buses and passenger vehicles.

H1 2026 sulfur imports fell by 771,000 mt YoY, a decline of nearly 30%. Combined imports from the four Middle Eastern countries (UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait) dropped by 1.52 million mt, a decrease of 62%. Canada emerged as a new major source, with imports rising from 172,000 mt to 328,000 mt (+90%), making it the second-largest origin. The average price in June surged to $885/mt, forming a pattern of “volume decline and price increase”.