Rio Tinto Suspends Madagascar Ilmenite Mining Due to Road Blockages, Affecting Titanium Supply

【SMM Titanium Flash】Recently, perionX announced that it has received a second task order from the U.S. Army to expand its domestic titanium powder to component manufacturing capabilities. The order has a base value of $18.5 million, with $11.5 million already funded, and a potential maximum of $25.4 million, as part of a $99 million SBIR contract. The funds will support the construction of continuous HSPT and dehydrogenation furnace capacity, and the internalization of the entire titanium fastener finishing process. As the integrated platform for titanium powder to components continues to improve, the self-sufficiency capability of the U.S. defense titanium supply chain is expected to further enhance.

[SMM titanium spot bulletin: cost expectations provide weak support; titanium dioxide struggles to recover quickly] Titanium dioxide prices are currently seeing limited movement. The expiry of phosphate fertiliser controls is expected to provide cost support from sulphuric acid, but titanium concentrates remain weak. End-use demand from real estate and coatings is sluggish, and the September-October peak season effect is fading. The market lacks a basis for recovery and is expected to consolidate in the doldrums in the short term. Attention should be paid to the release of actual downstream orders.

[SMM Titanium Spot Express: Titanium Dioxide Market Remains in the Doldrums, Supply Divergence Persists as Prices Creep Upward Slowly] On September 2, the SMM titanium dioxide index stood at 14,080 yuan/mt, with quotes for all grades unchanged. Supply-side cargo divergence was evident in the market, with some enterprises offering discounts to move inventory. Downstream demand remained weak with no concentrated restocking yet, and the effectiveness of price adjustments still needs to be verified. In the short term, prices are expected to consolidate.