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2027 SMM PGM Supply-Demand & Trading Summit

2026 SMM Australia Metals & Mining Investment Seminar

2026 SMM London Metals Forum

2026 SMM AICE Asia Aluminum Conference

ASEAN Solar Storage Summit 2026

SMM CCAE 2026 15th COPPER INDUSTRY ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference & Expo 2027

Shanghai Metals Expo 2026

SMM (11th) Annual Nickel Conference 2026 - Ni Cr Mn Stainless Steel Event

Indonesia Nickel & Cobalt & EV Industry Conference 2024

[SMM Analysis] Two Suspensions in Two Months: Sigma Lithium Permits Suspended Again, Expansion Affected

On September 29, Lake Resources  announced that its Kachi lithium brine project in Argentina has received an Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) issued by the Mining Ministry of Catamarca Province. The DIA requires a 200-meter surface exclusion zone around the lagoon shoreline. The company said it is updating mineral resource estimates accordingly, but existing ore reserve estimates and wellfield development plans are not expected to be affected. The project uses Lilac Solutions’ direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology and is designed to reinject more than 95% of processed brine into the native aquifer, isolated from freshwater resources, and to eliminate traditional evaporation ponds. Kachi Phase 1 has a designed capacity of 25,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), and the company’s planned Phase 2 scheme aims to further increase capacity to 50,000 tpa. Following environmental approval, the project is entering the front-end engineering and design (FEED) stage, advancing engineering definition, long-lead equipment procurement, construction planning, and commercial negotiations, in preparation for a subsequent final investment decision (FID). The company also committed US$1 million to the Catamarca Province Mining Concession Trust Fund to support local community infrastructure.

[Lake Resources’ Kachi Project Receives Environmental Approval]

On September 29, China Union Holdings announced that, as previously announced on August 14, it had received a notice from Canada’s foreign investment review and economic security authority (“FIRES”), which considered that the company’s investment in the Arizaro lithium brine project could affect Canada’s national security and might therefore initiate a further review within 45 days from the date of the notice. On September 29, the company received a notice from FIRES under Section 25.3 of the Investment Canada Act, notifying it of FIRES’s intention to conduct a further review of the transaction. The company and the seller are continuing to communicate with FIRES and are considering feasible options or remedies.

[China Union Holdings: Canada’s FIRES to Further Review Lithium Brine Investment]

On September 29, Sichuan Development Lomon announced that Jinchuan Guotuo Mining Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of its controlled subsidiary, recently completed the renewal of the detailed exploration right for the Simancuogou spodumene mine (Preferred Project) in Jinchuan County, Sichuan Province, and received a Mineral Resources Exploration License issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The license is valid from August 18, 2026 to March 29, 2031.

[Sichuan Development Lomon: Spodumene Exploration Right Renewed]

On September 28, Sanxia New Material announced that it plans to acquire no less than 53.14% of Zhuhai Saiwei Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. by issuing shares and paying cash, a deal expected to constitute a major asset restructuring. The company’s shares will be suspended from September 29, 2026, with the suspension expected to last no more than 10 trading days. The target company is mainly engaged in the R&D and production of electronic specialty materials such as lithium-ion battery electrolytes and new membrane materials, and holds a hazardous chemicals production license.

[Sanxia New Material to Buy 53.14%+ Stake in Zhuhai Saiwei; Shares Halted]

On September 29, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) published an article titled “FAW and GAC’s Strategic Cooperation Provides a New Model for High-Quality Industrial Development.” It said that, objectively speaking, corporate equity cooperation and strategic restructuring involve assets, personnel, debt, and local interests. Cross-regional integration still faces practical problems such as the transfer of production capacity quotas, tax revenue sharing, and long approval chains, which to some extent constrain industrial consolidation and high-end development.

CAAM will continue to serve as a bridge between the government and enterprises, promptly collect and report the difficulties and demands encountered by enterprises during integration, and call on relevant parties to improve supporting policies in areas such as capacity replacement, tax revenue sharing, asset disposal, and personnel resettlement, so as to clear obstacles for market-based integration.

At the same time, CAAM will strengthen operations monitoring and industry self-discipline, promote typical experience in resource integration, guide enterprises toward rational development, orderly competition, and collaborative innovation, and foster an industrial ecosystem featuring survival of the fittest and collaborative progress. This will inject stronger momentum into the high-quality development of China’s intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry and accelerate the building of a world automotive power.

[CAAM on FAW-GAC Strategic Cooperation: Calls for Better Support Policies]

【East China's Jiangxi (Jiujiang): Tinci's 6 Production Lines Battery Recycling Project】According to an environmental impact report disclosure, a waste lithium battery resource recycling project has been accepted for review. The project is located in the Jinshawan Zone, Hugao County High-tech Industrial Park, Jiujiang, Jiangxi. It is designed with six processing systems: a renovation system for waste LFP iron battery material recycling (two LFP battery pre-treatment lines, one cathode sheet pre-treatment line, and one hydrometallurgical recovery line), a new waste LFP battery pack cascade utilization system (one cascade utilization production line), a new waste battery and electrode sheet pre-treatment system (one LFP battery pre-treatment line, one ternary battery pre-treatment line, and one LFP cathode sheet pre-treatment line), a new iron phosphate hydrometallurgical recovery system, a new nickel-cobalt-manganese salt production system, and a new lithium carbonate production system (two high-purity lithium carbonate lines and one battery-grade lithium carbonate line).

Tinci's 6-Production Line Battery Recycling Project Under Review in Jiujiang, Jiangxi

The Future of Indonesia NPI and Asian Stainless Steel

Indonesia ESDM New HPM Formula & Nickel Market Updates

2025-2026 Global PV Market Review & Outlook: Navigating Geopolitics and Policy Shifts

SMM FREE WEBINAR: Sulfur Market: 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook

Impact of Iran Situation on Aluminum & Zinc Chains: A China-Based Market Outlook

SMM Africa Webinar: Strategic Sharing & Insights of Copper, Aluminium, New Energy, and Iron Ore Market

Lithium Is Moving Again — What It Really Means for BESS Costs and Procurement Strategy

Asia Copper and Aluminum Scrap 2025 Market Review and 2026 Outlook

SMM Aluminium Year-End Review: Indonesia 's Value Chain Acceleration - Tighter Quotas, Refinery Ramps & the Path to Aluminum Powerhouse Status

SMM Online Webinar: Nickel in Turmoil - Decoding Indonesia’s Policy Evolution & The Future of Global Supply

Category	Price Description	Change	Date
Raw Materials	Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate USD/tonne	-425.39	Sep 29
Raw Materials	Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide (Coarse Particles) USD/tonne	-359.68	Sep 29
Cathode material	China Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (Powder Compact Density 2.50g/cm³ min) USD/tonne	-102.5	Sep 29
Battery separator	China 9μm Wet-process Separator USD/m²	0	Sep 29
Electrolyte	Lithium Hexafluorophosphate USD/tonne	+12.66	Sep 29
Electrolyte	China Electrolyte (for LFP Battery) USD/tonne	+35.88	Sep 29

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