China Industrial-Grade Lithium Carbonate Production Fell MoM in February due to Maintenance by Large Smelters and Environmental Protection Checks

【DRC to Launch Annual Audits on Subcontracting and Local Content Compliance at Major Mining Companies】The DRC's Sous-traitance Privée regulatory authority stated that annual audits of subcontracting practices and local content compliance at large mining companies will commence from 2027. The country's new local content law takes effect on January 1, 2027, with sector-specific mining rules currently being drafted to include a mandatory three-year compliance program and penalty provisions. In 2025, 167 large enterprises declared subcontracting contracts totaling USD 3.7 billion, with 83% flowing to locally controlled companies, of which the mining sector alone accounted for USD 2.9 billion. The authority has already required certain copper-cobalt miners operating in the DRC to terminate non-compliant subcontracting arrangements, submit rectification plans, and expand procurement from local suppliers, with several Chinese and international major miners among those under scrutiny.

【US Battery Recycler Obtains Commerce Department Export License to Sell Recycled Black Mass】American Battery Technology Company announced it has received a Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) license from the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, authorizing the sale of up to USD 100 million of recycled black mass containing lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite.

【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.