China to Relax Rules for Foreign Investment in New Energy Vehicle Sector

[SMM Magnesium Express]Recently, Hefei Qixing Light Metal Technology Co., Ltd. invested a total of 453 million yuan in a project to produce 50,000 tons of lightweight magnesium alloy ingots annually, which has been established in Chaohu, Anhui. The project involves the construction of modern workshops and an intelligent smelting system, aiming to fill the local gap in high-end magnesium alloy materials and meet the stable supply demand for high-quality magnesium alloy raw materials required for large-scale integrated die-casting applications such as battery trays and electric drive housings in new energy vehicles. With the project's commencement, the local magnesium alloy industry chain's supporting capacity is expected to further strengthen.

[SMM Express] Glencore's Half-Year Production Report 2026 shows attributable chrome ore production — the group's 79.5% share of the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture — at 1,647,000 tonnes for H1 2026, down just 4% (70,000 tonnes) from 1,717,000 tonnes in H1 2025. Glencore attributed the modest decline simply to "operating conditions over the period," a notably milder explanation than the smelter-specific language it used for ferrochrome. Quarterly data confirms this was a gradual easing rather than a sharp drop: 910kt in Q2 2025, rising to 1,037kt in Q3, before stepping down to 859kt in Q4 2025, 830kt in Q1 2026 and 817kt in Q2 2026 — a 10% year-on-year decline at the Q2-to-Q2 level. This resilience mirrors what SMM has already tracked at Merafe Resources, Glencore's 20.5% partner in the same Venture. Merafe's own H1 2026 disclosure showed chrome ore production of 425,000 tonnes, down 4% from 443,000 tonnes — an almost identical percentage decline to Glencore's figure. With both Venture partners independently reporting the same modest ore-side softening even as ferrochrome production collapsed on their respective books, the pattern is now confirmed at the Venture level rather than being an artifact of one company's reporting: chrome ore extraction has held up far better than downstream smelting through the first half of 2026.

[SMM Express] Future Market Insights (FMI) projects the global tantalum and niobium materials market to grow from USD 4.36 billion in 2026 to USD 8.74 billion by 2036, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.2%. The outlook is supported by rising demand for tantalum capacitors in advanced electronics and expanding niobium use in high-strength low-alloy steels, superalloys and aerospace applications. According to FMI, the electronics sector is expected to account for 48.7% of demand in 2026, while tantalum will remain the dominant material with a 62.4% market share. China is forecast to record the fastest growth at 9.7% CAGR, followed by India (9.0%) and Germany (8.3%), reflecting increasing investment in advanced manufacturing, semiconductor production and next-generation infrastructure. The forecast highlights strengthening long-term fundamentals for the tantalum and niobium industries, underpinned by structural demand from electronics, aerospace and energy transition technologies. Continued growth is expected to support investment across mining, refining and downstream processing, while increasing the strategic importance of diversified and secure supply chains.