Lithium from salt-lake brines emerges in China’s battery market

【Huawei Mate 90 Series Officially Launches with Full Kirin Lineup, Goes on Sale Same Day】Huawei officially launched the Mate 90 series on October 1 and began sales the same day — the first time the flagship line has launched and gone on sale simultaneously. The series comprises five models, with official starting prices of CNY 5,999 for the Mate 90, CNY 6,999 for the Mate 90 Pro, CNY 9,499 for the Mate 90 Pro Max, CNY 10,999 for the Mate 90 Pro Max Collector's Edition, and CNY 12,999 for the Mate 90 RS Ultimate. All models run Kirin chips and HarmonyOS 7; the Mate 90 features the Kirin 9030, the Mate 90 Pro debuts the Kirin 9035, and the Mate 90 Pro Max carries the Kirin 9050 Pro, delivering 31% overall performance improvement over the previous generation with a 6,800mAh battery, and debuting quad-SIM triple-standby and network sharing across up to four devices simultaneously.

[SMM Analysis: Solid-State Battery Next Decade Series, 6 of 9: The Ternary Route May Become Great Again] Ternary has been structurally squeezed by LFP in the liquid lithium battery stage, making it difficult for its share to return to the mainstream. Solid-state batteries are catalyzing its "second positioning": high-nickel ternary, lithium-rich manganese-based materials are naturally compatible with solid-state systems, and solid-liquid batteries provide transitional growth. Scenarios such as eVTOL, humanoid robots, and high-end EVs, which have rigid demand for energy density and are price-insensitive, will become a solid foundation for the high-end specialized path of ternary.

【UK E-Liquid Excise Duty Takes Effect, Tobacco Tax Raised Simultaneously】The UK's HM Revenue & Customs has announced that the e-liquid excise duty came into effect on October 1, 2026, at a rate of GBP 2.20 per 10ml, applying to all e-liquids produced or imported into the UK regardless of nicotine content, with the exception of goods held in duty suspension. Manufacturers, importers, and bonded warehouse operators must obtain HMRC approval; unauthorized production is illegal and subject to civil penalties, seizure of goods and equipment, or criminal prosecution. The accompanying fiscal mark regime is also mandatory from the same date, with transitional marks without digital elements permitted until December 31, 2026; new products must use digital fiscal marks from January 1, 2027, and existing unmarked stock in wholesale and retail may be sold until March 31, 2027. Cigarettes and other tobacco products received a one-off additional duty of GBP 2.20 per 100 sticks or per 50g on the same date, on top of the regular escalator. The measure is projected to generate over GBP 550 million annually by the 2030–31 fiscal year.