This Week's (12.22-12.26) Overseas Lithium News [SMM New Energy Overseas Weekly News]

[Key Step in Chile's National Lithium Strategy: Codelco-SQM Joint Venture Faces Audit and Shareholder Scrutiny]

After the enterprise obtained approvals from multiple domestic and overseas regulators, its request for approval submitted to the Comptroller General represents the final step to finalise the agreement. Codelco and SQM plan to establish a joint venture in the Atacama Salt Flat to produce lithium, as part of President Gabriel Boric's strategy to expand state control over the lithium industry and increase production. Legislators have questioned why the agreement was reached through direct negotiations rather than a public tender, and raised concerns about matters such as Codelco choosing to partner with SQM, which has pending litigation with tax authorities. SQM declined to comment on the audit matters.

Codelco stated in a declaration that it will "advance the process with full transparency and professionalism," and the audit will help "reaffirm the integrity of the agreement with SQM." The statement noted: "The audit will confirm the fairness, rigor, and reasonableness of the process, particularly including the appointment and work of the financial advisor Morgan Stanley, which played a key role in structuring the partnership." Codelco said it is still awaiting approval from the Comptroller General's Office for the salt flat asset lease agreement between the national development agency Corfo and its subsidiary, which commenced in September. Tianqi Lithium, a major investor in SQM, previously attempted to block the transaction in Chilean courts, arguing the agreement should require shareholder approval, but has not succeeded so far.

Source: mining.com

[Zinnwald Lithium plc Receives Strong Support from the German Federal Government]

Zinnwald Lithium plc, which focuses on European lithium resource development and is committed to advancing the integrated Zinnwald lithium project in Germany, recently announced that the German Federal Government has confirmed its support for the project. It noted the project aligns with Germany's strategic raw material priorities and will promote its recognition at the EU level. Previously, the project had already received strong support from the State of Saxony. On December 12, Stefan Wenzel, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, visited the project site during a political raw materials field trip. He inspected the progress on the ground and discussed pathways to accelerate the feasibility study and approval processes. The parties also explored opportunities arising from the EU's newly introduced Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to accelerate the financing and permitting processes for critical raw material projects.

Wenzel stated: "The German economy relies on stable raw material supplies and secure supply chains; these are fundamental prerequisites for industrial value creation in our country. Growing geopolitical tensions are prompting further joint efforts at the national and EU levels among political and business circles to secure raw material supplies. The National Raw Materials Fund, the Critical Raw Materials Act, and the Resource Action Plan, which includes plans to establish European critical raw materials hubs, will collectively improve the framework conditions for strategic raw material projects. "The Zinnwald project will also benefit from this. In any case, the project convincingly demonstrates that the modern extraction of strategic raw materials in Germany is feasible," further noted Ruhnau. Regarding the ongoing application process under the Critical Raw Materials Act, he pledged that the federal government will actively promote the recognition of the Zinnwald lithium project as a key project under this act. Dr. Andreas Handschuh, State Secretary of Saxony, listed the project as one of the state's long-term goals: "Saxony has a long mining tradition. Building on this tradition and developing existing raw material resources is a wise move and in our interest. Proactive enterprises like Zinnwald Lithium are crucial in this regard. Because developing domestic raw materials not only strengthens Saxony's position as a key business location but also enhances the autonomy and sovereignty of raw material supplies for critical industries in Germany and Europe. In the face of complex geopolitical situations and restrictive trade policies, domestic raw material extraction is more important than ever."

Andreas Hill, an official from the Saxon Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy, and Climate Protection, added: "Europe, Germany, and Saxony must do everything possible to achieve raw material autonomy. Without stable and predictable access to raw materials, our industrial transformation will stall. We must protect the competitiveness of Saxony as a business location and show enterprises that investments can be realized within a reliable timeframe." "We face significant challenges in the coming years—from industrial restructuring and supply chain risks to geopolitical tensions. Precisely for this reason, we need responsibly developed projects like Zinnwald Lithium: they can fully leverage regional expertise, retain value creation within the state, and make European industry more independent." Zinnwald Company is steadily advancing preparations for the feasibility study and the initiation of environmental and social impact assessments, while also conducting technical and logistical planning to support data-driven decision-making and responsible project development.

Source: globalminingreview.com

[Altis Mining to Invest 520 Million Canadian Dollars to Acquire Lithium Ore Concession Assets and Expand Portfolio]

Altis Mining is betting on a recovery in the lithium market and plans to acquire a lithium ore concession company for 520 million Canadian dollars to expand its asset footprint in the battery metals sector. According to the final agreement announced by both parties on Monday, December 22, Altis plans to acquire all issued common shares and convertible common shares of Lithium Mine Royalty Company at a price of C$9.50 per share. Shareholders can choose to receive either C$9.50 in cash or 0.24 shares of Altis common stock per share. Through this acquisition, Altis will gain a portfolio of royalty interests covering 37 lithium mine projects. None of the interests involve production-sharing agreements, and the project stages span from production to early exploration. Among them, four royalties correspond to producing assets (three commenced production in 2025 and are in the capacity ramp-up or expansion phase), 12 projects have completed economic assessments and are in advanced stages, and an additional three to five assets are expected to commence production between 2026 and 2030. The company stated that the portfolio is geographically concentrated in low-risk regions, primarily in Canada, Australia, and South America, and includes both salt lake brine and hard-rock lithium production, demonstrating diversification. Based on current spot prices, Altis expects these royalty assets to generate annual revenues of $29 million to $43.7 million by 2030. Despite the continued expansion of lithium demand beyond EVs, the LCE price in 2025 fell to multi-year lows, remaining below $9,000 per mt for most of the year.

Altis noted that global lithium demand is projected to exceed 1.5 million mt LCE in 2025, and after years of oversupply, the market could face a supply deficit as early as 2026. CEO Brian Dalton emphasized that lithium has become a "mainstream, large-scale mining commodity" and described the acquired portfolio as having "extremely long resource life, significant cost advantages, and low jurisdictional risk." A special shareholders' meeting is expected to be held no later than March 10, 2026. If the transaction is approved, the acquisition is scheduled to be completed in Q1 2026, at which point Lithium Mine Royalty Company's shares will be delisted, and its status as a reporting issuer in Canada will cease.

Source: