Shanghai SASAC held a meeting on July 31 to accelerate high-quality development of bulk commodity trade and build an international trading and investment platform. The meeting emphasized strategic positioning, ecological cooperation, and regulatory services. Guomao Holdings, a municipal state-owned enterprise with 13 billion yuan registered capital established in November 2025, signed framework agreements with SAIC Motor, Shanghai Electric, Shenergy Group, and Shanghai International Port Group to deepen collaboration and build a bulk commodity industrial ecosystem.
China's Ministry of Commerce announced on July 27, 2026, a ban on further shipments of dual-use materials to 14 EU companies, including German defense contractor Rheinmetall, Sindhauser Materials, and Italy's Rafat Group. The move retaliates against EU sanctions on 14 Chinese and Hong Kong firms over Russia's war in Ukraine. China has leveraged its dominance in rare earth mining and processing as a bargaining chip over the past 16 months, having imposed export restrictions on tungsten, antimony, gallium, germanium, and seven rare earth metals since late 2024.
Expectations for a reversal in lithium carbonate prices in July have largely been dashed as the month draws to a close. Companies including Ganfeng Lithium, Tianqi Lithium, and Sinomine Resource are now turning their attention to the outlook for August, following the failure of a hoped-for rebound in the key battery material.
The DRC’s Centre for Mining Expertise, Evaluation and Certification (CEEC) on July 22 certified the first batch of lithium products from Manono Lithium, a project majority-owned by Zijin Mining (54.9%). The shipment departed from Kalemie port in Tanganyika province, marking the DRC’s first lithium export certification as it enters the league of lithium-exporting nations.