China's spodumene concentrate imports in Sep rose in volume on lower prices  

[SMM Hydrogen Energy News Brief: 250,000 mt/year Green Methanol Project in Guazhou, Gansu Officially Broke Ground] On April 16, the Guazhou County Wind and Solar Power Hydrogen Production Coupled with Biomass Green Methanol Integrated Demonstration Project (annual production of 250,000 mt), constructed by China Chemical Engineering Fourth Construction Co., Ltd., held its groundbreaking ceremony at Liugou Coal Chemical Industrial Park. The project was included in the list of major construction preparatory projects in Gansu Province for 2026, with a total investment of approximately 5 billion yuan. Located in Liugou Coal Chemical Industrial Park in Guazhou County, it is a model project for Jiuquan City and Guazhou County to promote the deep integration of new energy and chemical industries. The project is dedicated to building a green production system covering the entire chain of wind and solar power, energy storage, hydrogen, and methanol, and adopts globally leading coupling technology. Upon completion, the project is expected to produce 250,000 mt of green methanol annually, which will not only effectively address the challenge of local new energy consumption but also provide strong support for the construction of the "Green Hydrogen Corridor" in the Hexi region.

Commerzbank noted that due to the sharp rise in memory chip prices in recent months, European currencies could be affected to some extent. This could deliver another terms-of-trade shock to the eurozone and Europe as a whole, in addition to the energy price shock caused by the war in Iran. Some of the countries with the largest trade deficits are eurozone members, including Italy, Portugal, and Germany. Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the UK also have trade deficits.