Prices for light and heavy rare earths increased over August 2024 as demand-bolstering Chinese policies for consumer goods took effect. PrNd rose 9% to RMB 392,500/tonne ($55,343) over August, according to Benchmark’s Rare Earths Price Assessment, building on July’s uptick of 1.5%, Heavy rare earths prices rose at a slower pace of 5.7% and 1.7% […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, specialising in battery supply chain research and insights, reports that 12.7GWh of new operational capacity entered operation in October 2025. Operational Capacity The grid-scale BESS market saw 12.7GWh of new capacity enter operations globally in October 2025, a y-o-y increase of 29%. China led new operational capacity with just under 8.8GWh of […]
> Multiple copper sellers, including miners and traders, are reportedly in discussions with smelters to provide material under “tolling”-style contracts, several sources – some with direct knowledge of the talks – have told Benchmark. Market sources said historically low treatment charges (TCs) have forced sellers to seek alternatives to the conventional treatment and refining charge (TC/RC) […]
> Benchmark Week 2025 kicked off in LA on Tuesday, with policy makers, industry leaders, and experts from Benchmark discussing the key topics impacting energy transition supply chains in 2025. From across the first day’s sessions three key takeaways emerged: 1. Supply chains are a national security priority now more than ever “These are not just […]
> South Korea’s battery industry is one of the most developed and globally integrated ecosystems in the world. Yet beneath the surface of its technical leadership lies a sense of caution: competition from China is intensifying, margins are thin, and chemistry choices are shifting rapidly. A recent visit by Benchmark’s Lithium Product Director, Cameron Perks – […]
> NEO Performance Materials (NEO), a Canadian company with 30 years of rare earths industry experience, officially opened its rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) plant in Narva, Estonia, with a high-level ceremony on September 19, with Benchmark in attendance. The Narva plant marks NEO’s second rare earth facility in Estonia, complementing its established Silmet rare earth […]
> Global mined rare earth supply in 2024 was six times higher than in 1994, according to an analysis by Benchmark’s Rare Earths Forecast and the United States Geological Survey. Back then, China and the US constituted the majority of supply. However, repeated spills of toxic wastewater into the Mojave National Preserve from the Mountain Pass […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, specialising in EV supply chain research and insights, reports that 1.9 million electric vehicles were sold globally in October 2025. Rho Motion Data Manager, Charles Lester, commented: “Global EV sales reach 1.9 million units in October 2025, marking a 23% increase year-to-date. Europe led regional growth with a 36% year-on-year increase, driven […]
> This is your Weekly Raw Material Prices Briefing, part of your Benchmark Source subscription. Every week, this Briefing charts the changes in prices across the suite of battery minerals. Updates of this Briefing can now be found on Benchmark Source under the Publications tab. Lithium: Between 28 May – 4 June, lithium chemicals prices in […]