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Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[518,519,520,522,524,526,528,530,532,534,536,538],{"date":213,"value":512},{"date":216,"value":513},{"date":219,"value":521},99.19,{"date":222,"value":523},96.02,{"date":225,"value":525},98.23,{"date":467,"value":527},99.24,{"date":329,"value":529},101.29,{"date":339,"value":531},87.61,{"date":341,"value":533},92.44,{"date":344,"value":535},90.96,{"date":347,"value":537},92.24,{"date":350,"value":539},95.09,{"id":541,"uuid":542,"name":543,"slug":544,"full_slug":545,"content":546,"relatedArticles":709,"relatedVideos":710},112467413803225,"49e97613-bb78-459f-8b3f-d5de143c1d07","Chinese regulators look to slow lithium rat race","chinese-regulators-look-to-slow-lithium-rat-race","article/chinese-regulators-look-to-slow-lithium-rat-race",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":562,"content":572,"excerpt":689,"featured":51,"reporter":690,"_editable":694,"component":695,"seo_title":543,"categories":696,"visibility":702,"author_company":49,"featured_image":703,"seo_description":689,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":707,"formattedArticleDate":708},"dad3fbab-147c-4ff4-a2ff-791529325ee4","2025-07-21 00:00",[550,553,556,559],{"slug":551,"name":552},"china","China",{"slug":554,"name":555},"lithium-prices","Lithium prices",{"slug":557,"name":558},"zangge-mining","Zangge Mining",{"slug":560,"name":561},"zijin-mining","Zijin Mining",[563],{"slug":564,"name":565,"content":566},"didi-bostock","Didi Bostock",{"job_title":567,"image":568,"bio":570,"linkedin":571},"Editor - Energy Transition & Economics",{"filename":569},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/2c5ca5c1a3/didi-bostock.jpeg","Didi is the Energy Transition & Economics Editor at Benchmark, covering a broad range of markets across the energy transition. His remit spans from downstream sectors such as BESS and EVs, through to midstream such as new technologies and battery production, to upstream critical minerals mining. He also leads on financial analysis across these supply chains, alongside in-depth policy analysis.\n","https://www.linkedin.com/in/didi-bostock-656342198/",{"type":573,"content":574},"doc",[575,582,596,609,616,621,634,639,651,656,661,666,671,676,684],{"type":576,"attrs":577,"content":578},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[579],{"text":580,"type":581},"Haixi prefecture authorities ordered an immediate cessation of lithium resource development at Zangge Mining’s wholly-owned subsidiary on July 16 2025, injecting fresh uncertainty into Qinghai’s lithium landscape.","text",{"type":576,"attrs":583,"content":584},{"textAlign":49},[585,587,594],{"text":586,"type":581},"This is part of a wider movement in ",{"text":552,"type":581,"marks":588},[589],{"type":590,"attrs":591},"link",{"href":592,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":593},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/the-evolution-of-chinas-upstream-supply-chain-dominance","url",{"text":595,"type":581}," as Beijing looks to combat deflationary pressures from within the extractive industries via “anti-rat race” directives.",{"type":576,"attrs":597,"content":598},{"textAlign":49},[599,601,607],{"text":600,"type":581},"Haixi Natural Resources Bureau and Salt Lake Management Bureau have demanded strict compliance with national laws, suspension of all non-compliant extraction, and a comprehensive application to regularise its mining and processing ",{"text":602,"type":581,"marks":603},"permits",[604],{"type":590,"attrs":605},{"href":606,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":593},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/eight-lithium-mines-in-yichun-jiangxi-found-to-have-permit-issues",{"text":608,"type":581}," before production may resume.",{"type":610,"attrs":611,"content":613},"heading",{"level":612,"textAlign":49},4,[614],{"text":615,"type":581},"What impact will this have on lithium production in Qinghai?",{"type":576,"attrs":617,"content":618},{"textAlign":49},[619],{"text":620,"type":581},"For Zangge, which produced approximately 5,350 tonnes of lithium carbonate in H1 2025 against its full-year plan of 11,000 tonnes, the disruption could span several months. Management has already halted operations and begun preparing the required reproduction approval dossier.",{"type":576,"attrs":622,"content":623},{"textAlign":49},[624,626,632],{"text":625,"type":581},"Given past permitting cycles in Qinghai, as well as state-owned ",{"text":627,"type":581,"marks":628},"Zijin Mining’s January 2025 acquisition of Zangge",[629],{"type":590,"attrs":630},{"href":631,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":593},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/chinese-lithium-miners-zijin-and-zangge-consolidate-in-1-87-billion-deal",{"text":633,"type":581},", Benchmark expects that full-scale output could be restored by the end of 2025 or in the first quarter of 2026.",{"type":576,"attrs":635,"content":636},{"textAlign":49},[637],{"text":638,"type":581},"Benchmark has applied a live supply update to its Lithium Forecast, reducing Zangge’s 2025 output by 2,000 tonnes to 9,500 tonnes to reflect residual inventory sales and ramp-up potential post-approval. For Qinghai Province as a whole, Benchmark now forecasts 126kt LCE (lithium carbonate equivalent) in 2025.",{"type":640,"attrs":641},"blok",{"id":642,"body":643},"6c61c0ba-0c59-4bbb-9d93-e97aee689ca4",[644],{"id":645,"_uid":646,"type":647,"_editable":648,"component":649,"fixed_height":650,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":650,"fixed_height_tablet":650},"24332327","i-735a9946-a9c3-4f38-8889-6c75dd6d5599","visualisation","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-735a9946-a9c3-4f38-8889-6c75dd6d5599\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","ContentFlourish","",{"type":610,"attrs":652,"content":653},{"level":612,"textAlign":49},[654],{"text":655,"type":581},"How are regulators impacting Chinese lithium prices?",{"type":576,"attrs":657,"content":658},{"textAlign":49},[659],{"text":660,"type":581},"Fierce domestic price competition and overcapacity have been major contributors to the supply-side driving down of lithium prices. With regulators sharpening enforcement, other projects could face similar suspension risks unless their licensing and environmental compliance are bullet-proof.",{"type":576,"attrs":662,"content":663},{"textAlign":49},[664],{"text":665,"type":581},"Some players with an optimistic view see prices already bottoming, whilst more pessimistic players expect oversupplied markets and the resultant inventory overhang to set the scene for the next months. Prices have trended upwards in the last few weeks, but it is unclear if this movement is sustainable.",{"type":576,"attrs":667,"content":668},{"textAlign":49},[669],{"text":670,"type":581},"Recently announced H1 results showed Ganfeng and Tianqi’s profit margins evaporate, with Ganfeng even posting a small loss. Carbonate prices fell almost 16% to an unsustainable level of $8,000/t over Q2, before a recovery to $8,500/t in the weeks since, as well as strengthening quotations on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX).",{"type":576,"attrs":672,"content":673},{"textAlign":49},[674],{"text":675,"type":581},"Recent events involving permit enforcement in China could spur further investor interest in GFEX. Benchmark views much of the price movement on the exchange to be sentiment-driven, and notes that GFEX prices remain susceptible to low-volume distortion effects.",{"type":640,"attrs":677},{"id":678,"body":679},"f8e0089d-5a6f-46dd-8f67-5da5347f31df",[680],{"id":681,"_uid":682,"type":647,"_editable":683,"component":649,"fixed_height":650,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":650,"fixed_height_tablet":650},"24332765","i-8a0e1f89-3b66-4931-b5cd-62c80a43cf3f","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-8a0e1f89-3b66-4931-b5cd-62c80a43cf3f\", \"id\": \"\"}-->",{"type":576,"attrs":685,"content":686},{"textAlign":49},[687],{"text":688,"type":581},"Another lithium major, Jiuling, is rumoured to have suspended sales of lithium carbonate products to “control risks under recent huge price fluctuations”, in what could be an attempt to support prices by restricting supply and/or an expectation of further price recovery in the near term. Short-term price impacts could be significant – Jiuling produces around 34kt lithium carbonate from its Huaqiao Dagang mine – further volumes up to 15kt LCE are coming from its growing Nigerian operations and other third party material. ","Haixi prefecture authorities ordered an immediate cessation of lithium resource development at Zangge Mining’s wholly-owned subsidiary on July 16 2025, injecting fresh uncertainty into Qinghai’s lithium landscape. This is part of a wider movement in China as Beijing looks to combat deflationary pressures from within the extractive industries via “anti-rat race” directives. Haixi Natural Resources […]",[691],{"slug":564,"name":565,"content":692},{"job_title":567,"image":693,"bio":570,"linkedin":571},{"filename":569},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"dad3fbab-147c-4ff4-a2ff-791529325ee4\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[697,700],{"slug":698,"name":699},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":701,"name":8},"lithium","private",{"id":49,"alt":650,"name":650,"focus":650,"title":650,"source":650,"filename":704,"copyright":650,"fieldtype":705,"meta_data":706,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/8bd6f69b1f/bm-shutterstock-1495897103-1.jpg","asset",{"alt":650,"title":650,"source":650,"copyright":650},"Jul 21, 2025","21st July 2025",[],[],1781799310928]