The geopolitics-led diversification of critical minerals supply chains is broadly viewed as a tailwind to the lithium market, senior executives said during the Executive Keynote Panel at Fastmarkets’ Global Lithium, Battery and Critical Materials in Las Vegas on Tuesday June 23.

Shin-Etsu Chemical, one of Japan’s largest manufacturers of rare earth magnets, plans to build a new domestic rare earths refinery in Fukui, Japan, as first reported by Nikkei Asia.

Chinese zinc ingot exporters remain on standby on Monday June 22, after months of market positioning, with traders and smelters still waiting for a clearer margin signal before moving cargoes at scale, market participants told Fastmarkets.

Rare earths and uranium producer Energy Fuels has announced an agreement to acquire German rare earths magnet maker Vacuumschmelze (VAC) in a deal worth approximately $1.9 billion, the company announced on Tuesday June 23.

Here are some of the key discussion topics across the battery and critical minerals sectors ahead of Fastmarkets’ Global Lithium, Battery and Critical Materials conference taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on June 22-25.

Few battery raw materials entered the 2020s with as much momentum as lithium hydroxide. As automakers raced toward electrification, the industry widely expected high-nickel batteries to dominate the next generation of electric vehicles (EVs). Lithium hydroxide, a critical raw material for nickel-rich cathodes, was projected to become one of the battery sector’s fastest-growing products.

As Mexico seeks to strengthen domestic manufacturing supply chains and reduce its reliance on imported steel products, special bar quality (SBQ) steel has emerged as one of the segments offering the greatest growth potential for local producers, according to TYASA’s three chief executive officers, whom Fastmarkets sat down with in an exclusive interview to discuss the company’s new SBQ rolling mill.

Ford’s launch of Ford Energy reflects a clear strategic reset rather than simple diversification. The company is responding to a widening gap between earlier EV assumptions and current market reality, where demand growth has slowed, subsidy support has become less reliable, and large-scale battery investments are now underutilized.

Naturally produced graphite offers a cheaper and more supply-chain stable alternative for battery manufacturers and consumers, Jon Jacobs, chief commercial officer of US-based mineral resources developer Westwater Resources, told Fastmarkets in an exclusive interview on Thursday June 4, as concerns over Chinese dominance in the market forced buyers to look elsewhere.

The West entered the rare earths race late as countries in general were slow to act and now China is far ahead, Mineração Taboca executive manager Ronaldo Lasmar said in an interview with Fastmarkets.