ICBC will suspend accounts, platinum and palladium open positions, open positions, customers' unwinding transactions will not be affected.

According to China customs data, in August 2026, China imported approximately 8.11 tonnes of unwrought platinum and platinum powder, down 2.87% month-on-month and up 11.55% year-on-year. In August 2026, imports of unwrought palladium and palladium powder stood at about 3.35 tonnes, up 12.04% month-on-month and 73.58% year-on-year.

Implats’ 2010–2025 operating record shows why higher output does not always mean stronger profits. Metal prices, operating disruptions, acquisitions and currency movements shaped performance. Palladium and rhodium prices fell sharply after FY2021. FY2026 results show a recovery, but lasting strength depends on safe operations, reliable processing, disciplined costs and converting metal into cash, rather than relying on favourable prices alone.

Implats is reassessing the strategic value of its Waterberg PGM project. The company’s management recently stated that the revised Waterberg plan, following scale reduction and capital cost optimisation, is more attractive than previous versions, and the project has re-entered the group’s future growth pipeline. This development also reflects an increasingly pressing reality for South Africa’s PGM industry: projects capable of delivering incremental output at lower risk and reasonable capital intensity are becoming scarce.