Lowering the cost of capital through government support is crucial to establishing a competitive and sustainable battery supply chain in the US, panellists remarked at the third day of Benchmark week 2024 in Los Angeles. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BLI), government agencies have supplied billions of […]
> Indonesia has issued a ban on the issuance of new smelter permits for nickel matte, mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), and nickel pig iron (NPI), in a bid to curb overcapacity and incentivise value‑added investment in the battery supply chain. The policy marks the latest chapter in the Indonesian government’s strategic pivot in its nickel industrialisation […]
> 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, […]
> President-elect Donald Trump should focus on building out the midstream of the battery supply chain in the US, to reduce the risk of valuable recycled materials being sent overseas to be processed, JB Straubel, the founder of Redwood Materials, told the Benchmark Week 2024 conference. The US “could risk being a consumer and importer and […]
> 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 […]
> 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 […]
> The US electric vehicle (EV) market is entering a mass adoption phase, according to panellists at Benchmark Week 2024 in Los Angeles, in which infrastructure, policy, and affordability challenges will determine the industry’s trajectory over the coming years. “The thrust of electrification is relentless,” said Stephen Kosowski, Manager, Long Range Strategy & Planning at Kia North […]