Polestar to be banned from US market under Connected Vehicle Rule

Article | Jun 29, 2026 | 3 min read

Polestar to be banned from US market under Connected Vehicle Rule

Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Polestar is to exit the US market after the US Department of Commerce said it would not grant the majority-Chinese-owned, Sweden-based company authorisation to sell its vehicles in the country. Only 6% of its retail sales came from the US in Q1 2026, the company has said. The company is majority-owned by Geely, and had previously indicated that the Connected Vehicle Rule, proposed under the Biden administration to restrict import of vehicles using Chinese software and hardware, would largely prevent it from selling in the US. Since being passed, the rule has been upheld by the Trump administration, and the fresh decision to withhold authorisation reflects sustained US efforts across party lines to limit sales of Chinese EVs in the market.

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for New Energy System Development: Key Takeaways

Article | Jun 26, 2026 | 4 min read

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for New Energy System Development: Key Takeaways

China’s government has released its latest Five-Year Plan for New Energy System Development, setting out a range of new 2030 targets for its energy markets, including storage, generation and consumption. “The plan sets conservative and in-line new energy targets, serving more as a policy floor rather than a strict ceiling,” said Calvin Xu, a BESS analyst at Benchmark. “Supported by strong industry momentum, actual installations and deployments have consistently outperformed official goals during the previous five-year plan.” The plan is largely focused on “reinforcing market certainty” by providing “clear long-term development direction across renewables, energy storage, grid integration and power market reform,” Xu explained. Upcoming provincial targets and implementation rules are expected to provide more granular detail.

China targets US rare earth and defence-linked entities with dual-use export ban

Article | Jun 25, 2026 | 3 min read

China targets US rare earth and defence-linked entities with dual-use export ban

China has added 10 US entities to its export control list, prohibiting exports of dual-use items from China to those companies with immediate effect from 22 June 2026. The Ministry of Commerce named rare earth and magnet developers MP Materials and USA Rare Earth in addition to eight other companies in defence-related industries. The measure is entity-specific rather than a blanket restriction on rare earth exports to the US. Beijing positioned the move as a response to recent US actions targeting Chinese military-linked companies, including additions to the Pentagon’s 1260H list. In practice, the policy escalates previous licensing controls into a full prohibition on dual-use exports to the named firms.

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What does the Jinzifeng–Huashan merger mean for Jiangxi’s lithium supply?

Article | Jun 25, 2026 | 3 min read

What does the Jinzifeng–Huashan merger mean for Jiangxi’s lithium supply?

Yongxing and Canmax have announced plans to merge two adjacent lepidolite mines in Jiangxi, China's largest lithium-mica hub, in a deal Benchmark expects to delay fresh lithium supply in the near term even as it unlocks substantial output over the longer term. Under the deal, Canmax subsidiary Yichun Shengyuan Lithium will inject its Jinzifeng mine, valued at RMB 2.7 billion (~$396 million), into Yongxing's Huaqiao Mining in exchange for a 50% stake, with both parties then applying for a single unified mining right designed for 18 million tonnes of ore per year.

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