North America and Europe want to develop local battery supply chains, but removing China from the equation will be difficult given how embedded the country is in the processing of battery minerals. While most of the world’s lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese for batteries is mined outside of China, the majority of all critical minerals […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has expanded its cobalt coverage with the launch of a daily cobalt metal price, providing the market with a transparent and transaction‑based reference during a period of exceptional volatility. The new daily assessment complements Benchmark’s existing daily cobalt hydroxide price, giving industry participants visibility across both the physical metal and feedstock markets every trading day. […]
> 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 […]
> Escalating unrest in Mali, as jihadi groups target fuel convoys around the capital Bamako, has led several governments including France and the US to advise their citizens to leave the country. The attacks have created fuel shortages, and raised serious concerns around the military government’s ability to maintain its rule in the country. Mali is […]
> R&D is key to how any future-facing market evolves, and in batteries, it determines which company will lead the next wave of energy innovation. Across leading cell manufacturers, R&D spending highlights sharply contrasting strategies and substantial differences within the global battery supply chain. CATL leads the way in R&D CATL has consistently led R&D investment, […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence will continue publication of its existing Synthetic Graphite Anode High Energy and Natural Graphite Anode High Energy price assessments, reversing the previously announced specification change which took effect on 15 October 2025. In compliance with IOSCO principles, this followed Benchmark’s public consultation on the proposed change on 8 September 2025. Following additional […]
> 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 – […]
> US President Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have signed a landmark Critical Minerals Framework to bolster both nations’ access to rare earths and other critical minerals, in an effort to counter China’s dominance over strategically important supply chains. The framework indicates that the two governments will utilise a range of policy instruments to […]
> 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 […]