South Africa's high-carbon ferrochrome exports fell 20.8% in July 2026 as Chinese purchases dropped 27.2% month on month, while Japan's imports jumped to overtake Italy and South Korea as the second-largest buyer.
Kumba Iron Ore will supply iron ore to steel mills in the China Mineral Resources Group network from April 2026 to March 2027, under a contract Bloomberg estimates could cover 8 to 10 million tonnes.
The People's Bank of China added 20 tonnes of gold to reserves in July 2026, its largest monthly addition since late 2023, World Gold Council data published on 14 August showed.
The Manono lithium project in the DRC, controlled by China's Zijin Mining, received certification for its first export batch in July 2026, making the country a lithium producer for the first time.
Namibia and China signed nine cooperation agreements during President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's state visit to Beijing in July 2026, including a green minerals agreement naming uranium, lithium and rare earths as strategic priorities.
Iron ore prices in China stood at $109.43 a tonne in June 2026, with record port stockpiles and weak construction demand offsetting stronger manufacturing steel use.
SSE: 603993CopperCMOCChinese miner, formerly China Molybdenum Company, that has grown into one of the world's largest producers of cobalt and a major copper producer through its Congolese subsidiaries. It is listed in both Shanghai and Hong Kong with state-owned entities holding a minority stake.SZSE: 002460Battery metalsGanfeng LithiumChina's largest lithium salt producer, founded in 2000 by Li Liangbin and dual-listed in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It took full ownership of Mali's Goulamina lithium project in 2024-2025 by buying out its former partner, Leo Lithium.
SSE: 603799Battery metalsHuayou CobaltChinese battery-materials group headquartered in Zhejiang that began processing Congolese cobalt in 2006 before moving into direct mining. It is the world's largest cobalt refiner by market share and is listed in Shanghai.
HKEX: 1208CopperMMGMelbourne-headquartered base metals miner majority owned by China Minmetals, which holds a 67.49% stake. It is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and operates copper and other base metal mines across several continents.
