US President Donald Trump this week secured major investments in US-based projects from Japan and South Korea covering critical minerals, stationary storage, and other high-priority sectors, as part of trade agreements to lower US tariff barriers. The trade deals come ahead of a high-level meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping – the […]
> Lithium ion battery imports are an important part of the US’ domestic BESS industry. Historically, China has been the largest source of imported cells to the US, however this trend appears to be changing as US imports from China have fallen drastically in recent months. Why are China imports falling? From its peak in December […]
> 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 – […]
> China has postponed the implementation of its expanded rare earth export controls announced in early October following high-level US-China trade negotiations in South Korea this week. It marks a temporary easing in what had become an escalating front in the tit-for-tat US–China trade confrontation. The announcement follows extensive economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, […]
> 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 […]
> South Korean steel and chemicals giant POSCO has taken a 30% stake in Australia’s Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) 50% stakes in the Mt Marion and Wodgina mines for US$765 million. Structured as a joint venture, the deal would see MinRes and POSCO hold an overall 35% and 15% of the operations, as well as corresponding rights […]
> 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 […]
> President Trump has announced his “Liberation Day” imposing reciprocal tariffs on some of the US’ largest trading partners, as well as a universal 10% levy on almost all imports. This marks one of the biggest shake ups in global trade in the last 100 years. What do the tariffs cover? Aside from the universal 10%, […]
> Global cathode active material (CAM) production capacity is set to grow 178% between 2024 and 2030, as assessed by Benchmark. The bulk of this capacity is in China, with the country accounting for 87% of capacity in 2024, falling slightly to 84% by 2030. In China, the predominant cathode chemistry is lithium iron phosphate (LFP) […]