Needle coke prices saw an unseasonal uptick between February and March thanks to Chinese coking facilities staying shut after the Spring Festival. “We would expect coking capacity to come back online after Spring Festival when a lot of facilities opt to undertake seasonal maintenance, but this mostly hasn’t happened in 2024,” said Adam Megginson, Benchmark […]
> Improved demand from battery synthetic graphite anode producers and low inventories at the supply level saw prices of petroleum-based coke (pet coke) rise 3% this month following a 16% price drop last month, as assessed by Benchmark. A growing preference from anode producers to purchase pet coke over the more expensive needle pet coke also […]
> In the third quarter of 2025, 18 of the largest 25 copper miners reported quarter-on-quarter decreases in their output, including the top four miners. The total Q3 copper production reported by the top 25 miners hit 3.72Mt. “In the third quarter, many companies saw lower production compared to the previous quarter. However, most did not […]
> Following the conclusion of a formal public consultation, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is modifying the specification of its high energy anode material grades to include a minimum charging rate, relevant for EV applications. This modification to the methodology for two of the existing grades in the Benchmark Anode Price Assessment begins from 15 October 2025. Two […]
> 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 […]
> Global small flake natural graphite prices are at historic lows, leading several operations in East Africa to halt operations. “Downward pressure on small mesh prices is due to a market desire, especially in China, for greater synthetic graphite material in the anode chemistry mix and structural overcapacity in China,” said Alex Albinski, an analyst at […]
> Lithium chemical prices spiked in China on Monday following a bullish speech by the chairman of Ganfeng – the world’s third-largest lithium producer – in which it was suggested that lithium demand growth could reach 30% in 2026. In a keynote speech on 16 November at the 10th International Summit on Power Battery Application in […]
> The Trump administration is stepping up direct investments in critical mineral projects to bolster US supply security, as part of a broader push by Washington to acquire equity in sectors considered vital to national security. Last week, the US Department of Energy (DoE) announced it would restructure a $2.3bn loan agreement with Lithium Americas, providing […]
> China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has unveiled stricter listing requirements for new energy vehicles (NEVs), set to take effect from 2026. Vehicles must meet these revised specifications to qualify for inclusion on the official MIIT listing, a prerequisite for receiving favourable tax treatment. How will the new PHEV rules affect the market? From […]