Philippine lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban raw nickel ore exports, aiming to encourage domestic value-add processing and replicate neighbouring Indonesia’s success in downstreaming its nickel resources. Set to take effect five years after passage, the ban seeks to shift the country away from raw material exports toward local processing to capture more economic […]
> Indonesia’s nickel smelters are paying an increasingly steep premium to secure nickel ore, as a domestic supply crunch squeezes the industry’s margins. Benchmark notes the premium for some grades, based on data from Mysteel, is approaching 100% over the government’s benchmark price, known as the Harga Patokan Mineral (HPM). This supply tightness is driven by […]
> 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 […]
> As the dust settles on LME Week in London, Benchmark reviews some of the key themes that shaped discussions throughout the week and gauges sentiment across metal markets heading towards year end. Across the board, discussions reflected metal markets navigating shifting trade policy, supply-side disruption, and uneven demand recovery. Copper: Arbitrage and disruption dominate discussion […]
> Europe’s cathode active material supply is set to increase 360% between 2025 and 2030, supported by a growing number of facilities owned by non-European companies. Despite this growth, Benchmark forecasts that European CAM supply will remain lower than the region’s cell production, meaning gigafactories will depend on imports. Europe’s cathode scene today The key European […]
> A diplomatic visit to the Philippines by US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez signals growing US interest in the country as a potential source of non-Chinese battery nickel. The Philippines produced 11% of the world’s mined nickel in 2023, according to Benchmark’s Nickel Forecast, making it the […]
> 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 […]
> China’s Ministry of Commerce has announced new export control measures on “dual-use products” on national security grounds, encompassing lithium ion batteries as well as cathode active materials (CAM) and anode active materials (AAM). The restrictions were confirmed on the same day that Beijing escalated controls on rare earth elements and associated technologies, ahead of high-level […]
> Civil unrest and natural disasters in Myanmar are threatening price volatility in the heavy rare earth oxide (HREO) market, according to analysis by Benchmark. The current oversupply has meant the disruption has had a limited impact on prices. However, continued delays to operations could deplete stockpiles and lead to sustained price increases. “Dysprosium (Dy) and […]