[SMM Chromium Flash] Chrome Ore Among Only Two SA Mining Sectors to Grow in July as Output Falls 7.5%

Global mining infrastructure products provider Jennmar has entered into a long-term partnership with stainless steel producer Outokumpu Corporation to supply ground control products for the Kemi mine in Finland, the country's largest underground mine and Europe's only operational chrome mine. Jennmar has established a dedicated Jennmar Finland entity to streamline commercial transactions for Outokumpu and the mine's management teams. Under the multi-year agreement, Jennmar will supply a full range of ground support equipment tailored to Kemi's underground conditions, including roof bolts, cable bolts, mesh, steel accessories and pumpable resins. The company said it will draw on its global supply chain and technical expertise to support safety, stability and production efficiency at the operation, and will work with Kemi's mine management and underground technical teams on a structured change-management process aimed at optimising mining operations. Jennmar Europe president Mike Petkovich described Kemi as one of the largest and most impressive mining operations in Europe. The Kemi mine has an ore processing capacity of 2.7 million t/y and supplies the chrome feeding Outokumpu's ferrochrome and stainless steel production at Tornio in northern Finland, making it a rare example of a fully integrated mine-to-stainless chromium value chain operating within Europe. Outokumpu operates production sites across Finland, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States and Mexico. The agreement underscores continued investment in the operational reliability of Europe's only domestic chrome ore source at a time when the region's ferrochrome producers face sustained competition from lower-cost imported material.

[Aluminum Scrap and Secondary Aluminum Weekly Review: Tightening Compliance Supervision Raises Costs, ADC12 Prices Drift Higher] In terms of price spreads, on September 17, the price difference between A00 aluminum and mixed aluminum extrusion scrap free of paint in Foshan was about 2,468 yuan/mt, and the price difference between A00 aluminum and shredded aluminum tense scrap was about 1,247 yuan/mt. The price spread for aluminum tense scrap narrowed again WoW. Supply side, the tight raw material supply pattern remained unchanged, and the scarcity of compliant, invoiced aluminum scrap continued to rise. Notably, tax audits in central China continued to intensify, and the sharp drop in regional aluminum scrap supply will significantly disrupt aluminum scrap circulation. On the import side, this week, the price of imported shredded aluminum at Ningbo port was raised from 21,370 yuan/mt to 21,470 yuan/mt (tax inclusive), while at Tianjin port it rose from 21,420 yuan/mt to 21,520 yuan/mt (tax inclusive).

[Silicon Metal Finds Stronger Cost Support After Continuous Declines; Focus on Whether Polysilicon Production Cut Expectations Materialize]: Overall, expectations for Q4 polysilicon production cuts have been building recently, and with some silicon enterprises in the northwest resuming production, bearish market sentiment has kept silicon metal prices in the doldrums. Although silicon metal's own fundamentals in September still showed a MoM supply reduction and slight inventory destocking, growing concerns over downstream demand have kept prices under sustained pressure. As the most-traded silicon metal contract fell to around 8,400-8,500 yuan/mt, cost support and buying interest below futures prices have strengthened, and prices may shift to consolidation. The subsequent trend will hinge on whether polysilicon production cut expectations materialize substantively, changes in operating rates among enterprises in the north and south on the supply side, and capital sentiment.