SQM, Codelco Outline Expansion Plan to Lift Lithium Output to 470,000 mt/y

According to an industry letter seen by Reuters, exporters have been unable to submit export declarations through the customs platform since July 1 because ARECOMS, the Democratic Republic of Congo's strategic minerals regulator, has not formally notified customs to continue processing export quotas. As a result, major producers including CMOC Group, Glencore, Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) and Huayou Cobalt have been unable to complete export procedures. Meanwhile, ARECOMS requires companies to utilize their first-half export quotas by July 5, after which any unused volumes will be withdrawn and reallocated. Industry sources estimate that around 60%–75% of companies are unlikely to meet the deadline due to administrative delays. If the issue is not resolved promptly, up to 20,000 tonnes of cobalt exports, worth approximately US$1.1 billion at current prices, could be affected. CMOC alone could lose almost all of its second-quarter export quota. SMM will continue to monitor developments.

Tinci Materials announced that its subsidiary Nantong Tinci has terminated its planned 243,000-tpy lithium battery and fluorochemical materials project. The company said the decision was driven by an oversupply in the electrolyte industry, intensified market competition, and changes in the fluorochemical market, which weakened the project's expected returns. Tinci has begun evaluating new product plans for its Nantong facility.

Samsung SDI has confirmed that it signed a battery cell supply agreement worth approximately KRW 2 trillion with battery module manufacturer Simplo Technology. The company will supply battery cells for battery backup units (BBUs) used in AI data centers, reflecting growing demand driven by increased AI infrastructure investment.