Hebei large steelmaker settles silico-manganese purchasing price at 8,950 yuan/mt in Dec tender

[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.

[SMM Express] NioBay Metals Inc. has successfully produced high-purity niobium and tantalum oxides from its Crevier Project in Québec, achieving approximately 99.6% niobium oxide (Nb₂O₅) and 99.98% tantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅). The purification programme, completed with processing and analytical work conducted by SGS Canada Inc., confirms the effectiveness of the company's metallurgical and hydrometallurgical flowsheet, including a calcination stage at temperatures of up to 1,050°C. According to NioBay, the oxide products meet the specifications of certain potential customers, representing a significant technical milestone for the Crevier Project. The company is evaluating the project's potential to produce niobium oxide for battery and superalloy applications, following earlier studies indicating favourable technical and economic parameters. The production of high-purity niobium and tantalum oxides signifies continued progress in downstream processing capabilities outside traditional supply regions. While the demand for high-specification materials grows across battery, aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors, successful purification milestones could strengthen future supply and support value addition within the niobium and tantalum supply chain.