Henan Smelter Completes Refined Cadmium Sale at RMB 27,600/ton Amid Market Weakness

Antofagasta reported a notable year-on-year decline in molybdenum production across its key copper-molybdenum operations in H1FY26. Molybdenum output at Los Pelambres fell 17% to 4,700 tonnes from 5,700 tonnes a year earlier, while output at Centinela declined 18% to 1,400 tonnes from 1,700 tonnes. The company attributed the declines primarily to lower ore grades.

[SMM Flash] Premier African Minerals has identified an estimated US$19.1 million funding requirement through December 31, 2027, as it seeks additional capital for its Zulu Lithium and Tantalum Project in Zimbabwe and other corporate obligations. The company has called a general meeting for September 23, where shareholders will vote on resolutions providing additional share-issuance authority. Premier said its available funds are limited and warned that failure to secure further financing could materially affect the Zulu project and the wider group.​ The proposed authorities include the potential issuance of up to 58.63 billion new shares to provide funding flexibility, alongside separate provisions covering creditor settlements and conversion rights. The announcement highlights continued financing pressure surrounding Zulu as Premier works to optimise operations and progress the project towards sustainable production. For the tantalum market, securing sufficient capital will be important to Zulu’s ability to develop its prospective tantalum-bearing output, although the US$19.1 million represents an estimated funding requirement rather than financing already secured.

Global chrome ore departures from major export ports totaled 691,800 mt in the week ended September 4, up 83.99% week-on-week, according to SMM's latest data. The sharp rebound follows two consecutive weeks of decline and marks the strongest weekly departure volume recorded in the current data series, with gains registered across nearly every tracked port. Maputo continued to anchor overall volumes, with departures rising to 512,100 mt from 339,200 mt, a 50.97% increase that kept the port's share of total departures above 70%. Richards Bay returned to active shipping after recording zero departures the prior week, loading 57,800 mt, while Mersin more than doubled to 84,500 mt from 36,800 mt, its strongest weekly total in recent weeks. Beira also resumed shipments after an extended period of inactivity, recording 29,500 mt, its first departures in the current data series. On balance, the broad-based pickup across Maputo, Richards Bay, Mersin, and Beira marks a shift from the more concentrated, Maputo-led flows seen over the preceding weeks toward a more synchronized recovery across the region's ports. The modest gap between combined major-port volumes and the global total, roughly 7,900 mt, reflects smaller contributions from non-major loading points.