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CATL Lithium Mine Shuts Down

China’s battery giant CATL has halted operations at its Jianxiawo lepidolite lithium mine, with no short-term restart in sight, according to multiple market sources. The shutdown comes just as the site’s key mining permit is set to expire, intensifying concerns over a potential supply shock in the global EV battery market.

The halt follows weeks of speculation and surveillance by traders, with Bloomberg reporting drone flyovers at the site ahead of the paperwork deadline. Lithium carbonate futures in Guangzhou jumped 9% last week to about ¥75,000 per tonne, closing in on July’s recent highs above ¥80,000, as traders priced in tighter supply.

You can read more on the matter here.

What’s going on?

• Trump Demands Higher Drug Prices for Canada as Tariffs Loom (theDeepDive)

• China brings chikungunya outbreak under control with zero-COVID-style tactics (Globe)

• Gold’s Next 12 Months Will Be the Trade of a Lifetime | Simon Marcotte – Northern Superior (theDeepDive)

• Small businesses raise prices as Trump’s tariffs hit Main Street (FT)

• Will The Government Will Quietly End The Dollar Using Gold | Andy Schectman (theDeepDive)

• Alberta no longer sure about big savings from auto insurance reforms (CBC)

• The Japanese Gold Mining Advantage | John Proust – Japan Gold (theDeepDive)

• Trump to Deploy National Guard to D.C., Take Over City’s Police Department (WSJ)

• Court Ruling Set to Change Spain’s Mining Landscape: Aznalcóllar | David Gower – Emerita Resources (theDeepDive)

• Brazil egg exports to US spike after bird flu, ahead of tariff (CNBC)

• Highest Grade Antimony Mine in the World!? | James Atkinson – Antimony Resources (theDeepDive)

What’s the latest?

• Markets: U.S. stocks hovered near record highs Monday as investors awaited Tuesday’s inflation report, expected to show July prices up 2.8% from a year earlier. Concerns over Trump’s tariffs and potential stagflation are dividing Fed officials on interest rate cuts. Micron and AMC rose on strong results, while C3ai plunged after warning of a larger loss. Bond yields were steady, and overseas markets were mixed.

• Bell: Bell Canada will give eligible cellphone and internet customers a free year of Perplexity Pro, an AI-powered search service valued at $300, offering access to models like GPT-5, Claude 4.0, and Gemini 2.5 Pro. The move follows Bell’s deal with Cohere and its Bell AI Fabric initiative, which will open six hydroelectric-powered AI data centres with 500 MW capacity. Mobile users get access this week, while internet customers will follow in the fall.

• Barrick: Barrick Mining’s Q2 profit jumped to US$811M (47¢/share) from US$370M (21¢) last year, driven by higher gold prices despite lower gold output. Adjusted earnings matched at 47¢/share, up from 32¢. Revenue rose to $3.68B from $3.16B. Gold output fell to 797K oz from 948K, but the realized gold price surged to US$3,295/oz from $2,344. Copper production increased to 59K tonnes from 43K, though prices eased to US$4.36/lb from $4.53.

• Statistics : Statistics Canada says Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. by car fell 36.9% in July to 1.7M, marking a seventh straight yearly decline. U.S. car trips to Canada dropped 7.4% to 1.8M, while Canadian air return trips fell 5.3% to 1.4M, including a 25.8% drop from the U.S. Overseas air returns rose 5.9% to 1M, and non-resident air arrivals grew 3.1% to 1.4M. Overall cross-border travel fell 15.6% to 6.3M.

• Commodities: Lithium producer shares jumped after Chinese battery giant CATL halted output at its Yichun mine, raising hopes of easing a market glut. Albemarle rose 10.2%, SQM 9.2% and Lithium Americas 2.4%, with smaller peers gaining up to 19.6%. The mine, supplying about 3% of 2025’s projected global lithium, is undergoing a license renewal, which analysts say could tighten supply and lift prices short term, though longer-term surpluses remain likely.

New Gold Q2 Earnings

The stock market and stuff

• Barrick Mining Reports 16% Revenue Jump In Q2 2025 Despite Lower Volumes (theDeepDive)

• Crypto exchange Bullish raises IPO size, seeks nearly $5 billion valuation (CNBC)

• Dojo Lost Mojo: Tesla’s In-House AI Gambit Ends Before It Begins (theDeepDive)

• Trump opens door to Nvidia selling advanced AI chips to China for a fee (FT)

• Equinox Gold Sees California Project Placed Into FAST-41 Permitting Program (theDeepDive)

In the juniors

• PTX Metals Reports Successful Mineralogy Results, To Proceed With Metallurgical Program (theDeepDive)

• Westward Gold Provides Update on 2025 Drilling Campaign at Campfire Target Complex (JMN)

• Jaguar Mining Secures Federal Permit For Turmalina Mine, Restart Expected In Q1 2026 (theDeepDive)

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