News

Raw material side, spot lithium carbonate prices began to rise this week, while cobalt sulphate and nickel sulphate prices remained temporarily stable.

[SMM Tin Brief Review: Repeated Shifts in Macro Sentiment Put Pressure on Nonferrous Metals, and Tin Prices Pulled Back and Remained in the Doldrums]

Recently, the first coils were successfully rolled off the pickling line and hot-dip galvanizing line of the cold-rolling project of Anhui Panhua New Materials Co., Ltd., for which China National Heavy Machinery Research Institute Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SINOMACH Heavy Equipment Group, served as the EPC contractor, marking the successful commissioning of the project.

Spot Lithium Carbonate Fluctuated Upward on 3.23-3.26.

Recently, the finishing mill unit and sizing press developed by Erzhong Equipment, a subsidiary of SINOMACH Heavy Equipment, for Meishan Iron & Steel’s 1,422 mm hot rolling production line were successfully commissioned. The equipment has been operating stably, with all performance indicators leading the industry, and has received high recognition from the owner.

[Silicon Metal Market Sees Rising Bargaining Sentiment, Focus on Changes in Supply-Side Operating Rates]: This week, the silicon metal market remained in a bargaining stalemate, with the price center of some specifications edging up slightly. As of March 26, SMM east China oxygen-blown #553 silicon was at 9,100-9,300 yuan/mt, up 100 yuan/mt WoW. #441 silicon was at 9,300-9,500 yuan/mt, flat WoW, and #3303 silicon was at 10,200-10,400 yuan/mt, also flat WoW. In the futures market, affected by sentiment and expectations surrounding supply-side factors such as “self-discipline among silicon enterprises and anti-involution,” the most-traded silicon metal contract continued to hold up well over the past week, closing at 8,735 yuan/mt late on Thursday with a notable gain. In terms of quotations, silicon enterprises mostly kept shipment quotes stable, with some quotes testing slight increases; the quote center of trading firms engaging in both spot and futures market rose markedly, and low-priced cargoes disappeared. As downstream acceptance of high prices was limited, high-priced transactions in the market were difficult to conclude.

SMM, March 26: Japan's Q2 2026 aluminum premium (QMJP) was set at $350-353/mt, with an average of $351.5/mt, up 80.27% from Q1.

L&F announced that it will accelerate mid- to long-term growth through a dual-track strategy focusing on NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) and LFP (lithium iron phosphate) cathode materials. In the NCM segment, the company plans to expand shipments of 46-series batteries and strengthen its presence in North America, leveraging its exclusive supply position for ultra-high nickel NCMA95, which recorded its highest-ever sales volume. It also aims to drive both volume growth and profitability improvements through higher utilization rates. In the LFP business, L&F will expand applications beyond energy storage systems (ESS) into electric vehicles and AI data centers, while reinforcing its long-term growth foundation through capacity expansion based on secured demand from multiple customers.

On March 25, Capchem disclosed that in 2025, the company achieved operating revenue of 9.639 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22.84%; and realized net profit attributable to the parent of 1.097 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.48%. In terms of customers, it has been onboarded by several leading domestic and international battery manufacturers, with some achieving hundred-ton-level procurement for semi-solid-state battery research, development, and small-batch production. The company believes that in the coming period, solid-state batteries will primarily focus on niche application scenarios requiring high energy density and low cycle life, with a relatively limited market scale.