China's Magnesium Industry Expands into Turkmenistan, Brazil's Tariff Hike Blocks Exports to Brazil [SMM Survey]

Chinese Energy and Chemical Enterprise Proposes Magnesium Alloy Production Project in Turkmenistan

According to Trend, at the Turkmenistan-China Business Forum held in Ashgabat on April 29, a Chinese energy and chemical enterprise proposed building a magnesium alloy production project in Turkmenistan. The Chinese enterprise expressed willingness to establish a strategic partnership with relevant Turkmen institutions to jointly create a cooperation platform for resource processing and industrial development. The project was said to combine Turkmenistan's raw material base with Chinese technical expertise, with the potential to create new capacity and expand economic cooperation. The proposing company is an energy and chemical enterprise primarily engaged in coal mining, chemical production, and renewable energy development. This magnesium alloy project proposal may open a new pathway for China's magnesium industry in terms of technology export and ex-China resource processing cooperation.

Brazil Sharply Raises Anti-Dumping Duty on Chinese Magnesium Ingots to $4.07/kg, Effectively Closing China's Direct Export Channel

On May 8, 2026, Brazil's Foreign Trade Committee decided to sharply raise the anti-dumping duty on magnesium ingots originating from China from $1.18/kg to $4.07/kg, an increase of approximately 245%. The product in question is magnesium ingots with a magnesium content exceeding 99.8%, and the new duty rate took effect from the date of publication. This was the most significant duty rate adjustment since Brazil first initiated anti-dumping investigations on Chinese magnesium ingots in 2003, with the previous rate of $1.18/kg having been maintained for over twenty years. According to an SMM survey, Brazil's domestic primary magnesium capacity was only about 22,000 mt/year, while annual import demand was as high as 300,000-400,000 mt, indicating a massive supply-demand gap. Currently, China's direct exports of magnesium ingots to Brazil were already negligible, and this duty increase will further cut off the channel for Chinese magnesium ingots to enter the Brazilian market. It may push Brazil to turn to other ex-China primary magnesium sources, or compel Chinese magnesium products to enter the Brazilian market indirectly in the form of deep-processed products or end-use products, thereby affecting global magnesium trade flows and product mix.