Warning lights flash as aluminium reels from Gulf shock

The Iran war is shaping up to be one of the biggest supply shocks in the history of the aluminium market. Gulf production of the metal, which is used across sectors as diverse as transport, packaging and solar panels, has plummeted to its lowest level in over a decade in April, according to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). Regional run-rates dropped by an annualised two-million tons over …

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China’s grip on lithium to hit 39% by 2030: WoodMac

Chinese companies are on track to control 39% of global lithium production by 2030 as they deepen investments across Africa, Australia and South America, tightening Beijing’s influence over battery supply chains despite broader geographic diversification of mining output. Chinese ownership of lithium extraction assets has risen steadily from about one-third in 2020, according to Wood Mackenzie’s Lens Metals & Mining platform, …

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Platinum Supply Deficit and PGM Risk Premiums Deepening in 2026

The Commodity Market’s Most Underappreciated Structural Problem Few commodity markets illustrate the gap between price signals and supply response as vividly as platinum. The platinum supply deficit and PGM risk premiums building across 2026 represent a structural challenge that most commodity frameworks are not calibrated to assess. In most raw material markets, a sustained price doubling over twelve months triggers …

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