Hable con nuestros expertos hoy mismo

Regístrese a continuación y personalizaremos una solución que satisfaga sus necesidades específicas. Cuando hable con uno de nuestros expertos, es posible que esté calificado para probar nuestros productos líderes en la industria de forma gratuita.

Puede cancelar su suscripción a estas actualizaciones en cualquier momento. Argus gestiona la información personal de acuerdo con nuestra Política de privacidad.
Generic Hero BannerGeneric Hero Banner
Latest Market News

LGES, Hanwha QCells ink US ESS battery supply deal

  • Spanish Market: Battery materials, Metals
  • 04/02/26

South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solutions (LGES) will supply 5GWh of energy storage batteries to Hanwha QCells USA.

The supply will consist of 5GWh of lithium-iron-phosphate energy storage system (ESS) batteries produced at its facility in Holland, Michigan, in the US, LGES said on 4 February. The deal spans from 2028-30 and the batteries are for Hanwha's power grid ESS project in the US.

LGES, alongside fellow South Korean battery makers, is doubling down on the US' ESS market, where the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres is fuelling greater electricity demand. South Korean battery makers are planning to convert their electric vehicle (EV) battery production lines into ESS ones, given a dimmer outlook on the US EV market. This comes after the US scrapped a federal tax credit for EVs and plug-in hybrids, as well as the profitability of overseas-made products coming under pressure because of US tariffs.

North America's ESS demand could expand to half of its total battery market, said Hanwha QCells' engineering, procurement and construction business unit head Chris Hodrick, echoing what LGES previously said in January 2026.

Hanwha completed a 3.3 GW/yr solar module production line at its Cartersville plant in Georgia, US, in 2024. The site also hosts a 5.1 GW/yr solar modules plant.

By Joseph Ho

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

04/02/26

Australia launches critical minerals prospectus

Australia launches critical minerals prospectus

Sydney, 4 February (Argus) — Australia's government has released a prospectus of critical mineral projects to promote global investment into domestic projects, the country's resources minister Madeleine King said today. Australia's prospectus covers 78 projects involving 14 critical minerals (see table) . The projects outlined in the document are at or past the pre-feasibility study stage. But only three are currently under construction. The prospectus is limited compared with Australian government forecaster the Office of the Chief Economist's (OCE) major projects list for 2025, which features 130 critical mineral projects. The OCE's list includes projects at an earlier stage of development than those in the prospectus. King launched the prospectus alongside Australia's trade minister Don Farrell on the sidelines of multilateral meetings in Washington, DC. It is a tool for drawing in investment from around the world to create new mineral supply chains, the ministers said. Australia agreed to co-invest at least $3bn into critical mineral projects with the US government in October 2025. Government lender the US Export-Import Bank indicated that it would consider providing $2.2bn of co-funding to seven Australian projects at the time. Australian and Japanese officials also aim to partner on critical mineral projects . Australia wants the next stage of its relationship with Japan to focus on economic security around critical minerals, Australian foreign minister Penny Wong said in September 2025. Australia's recent push for global critical minerals co-operation comes alongside government support for domestic mineral projects. The Australian government will launch a A$1.2bn ($770mn) Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve in 2026 to back developers. The government will secure offtake rights to Australian minerals and sell those rights to meet demand under the initiative. It plans to primarily support antimony, gallium, and rare earth element projects under the scheme. The OCE expects Australian producers to earn A$5.9bn from critical mineral exports by the July 2026–June 2027 fiscal year, largely because of manganese and rare earth earnings, its December 2025 forecasts show. By Avinash Govind Critical Minerals Prospectus summary Category Number of Projects Development Stage Pre-feasbility 18 Pre-construction 4 Midstream 29 Feasibility 24 Construction 3 Care and maintenance 1 Mineral Rare earth elements 16 Cobalt 13 Vanadium 10 Graphite 9 High purity aluminium 7 Manganese 7 Lithium 5 Antimony 2 Gallium 1 Other 9 Source: Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Mexico 2026 GDP outlook edges higher in Jan survey

03/02/26
03/02/26

Mexico 2026 GDP outlook edges higher in Jan survey

Mexico City, 3 February (Argus) — Private-sector analysts raised Mexico's 2026 GDP growth outlook in the central bank's January survey, as forecasts adjust to data last week showing stronger-than-expected growth in the fourth quarter of 2025. The median 2026 GDP growth estimate rose to 1.3pc from 1.15pc in the mid-December survey, while the 2027 outlook edged down to 1.8pc from 1.85pc. Mexico's economy expanded by 1.6pc in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, led by solid expansion in the agriculture sector and more modest growth in the industrial and services sectors. Growth prospects for 2026 and 2027 hinge on a timely and successful renewal of the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) free trade agreement, scheduled to conclude in July, multiple market sources told Argus . Optimism around the talks is reflected in the survey's quarterly breakdown, which projects 2026 GDP growth accelerating to 1.54pc in the third quarter from 1.1pc in the second quarter. Public security remained the top perceived risk to short-term GDP growth, widening its lead over foreign trade concerns, with both risks receiving at least twice as many responses as other factors cited in the survey. Inflation expectations for 2026 were slightly higher in the January survey, moving to 3.95pc from 3.88pc in December. The estimate for core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was unchanged from the previous survey at 3.75pc. Annual inflation slowed to 3.69pc in December — the lowest December reading since 2020 — from 3.8pc in November, driven by easing agricultural and energy prices and some moderation in core inflation. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, eased to 4.33pc from 4.43pc, though it remained above the central bank's 4pc upper target for an eighth consecutive month. The central bank cut the target rate to 7pc on 18 December from 10pc at the start of 2025, with analysts expecting the tightening cycle to end this year and the rate to close 2026 at 6.5pc. The bank's next monetary policy decision is scheduled for 5 February. Analysts also strengthened their peso forecast, projecting an end-2026 exchange rate of Ps18.50/$1, compared with Ps19.23/$1 in the previous survey. The end-2027 forecast moved to Ps19.00/$1 from Ps19.45/$1. The US dollar weakened roughly 4pc against the peso over the last month, trading at Ps17.26/$1 on 3 February compared with Ps17.9/$1 on 3 January. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil’s Dec industrial output lowest since mid-2024

03/02/26
03/02/26

Brazil’s Dec industrial output lowest since mid-2024

Sao Paulo, 3 February (Argus) — Brazil's industrial output fell by 1.2pc in December from a month prior, marking the steepest decline since July 2024, according to national statistics agency IBGE. All four major categories showed declines, with capital goods and durable consumer goods output down by 8.3pc and 4.4pc, respectively, from November 2025 . Auto, chemicals and metallurgy were among the largest negative contributors, down by 8.7pc, by 6.2pc and by 5.4pc, respectively, from November, IBGE said. Output of petroleum coke, oil products and biofuels increased by 5.4pc in December from the previous month, after three consecutive monthly drops, while the extraction industries pushed up output by nearly 1pc. Transformative industry ended the year at 1.9pc below November 2025. IBGE data show. Despite month-to-month decreases, December's industrial output rose by 0.4pc from a year earlier. Plastic materials and machinery and equipment represented the largest contributors to the increase, which is also due to an additional workdays this year, IBGE said. 2025 output ticks up Brazil's 2025 industrial output reached a third increase in a row at 0.6pc above a year earlier and pre-pandemic levels, following a 3.1pc rise in 2024, IBGE said. Extraction and food industries were among the largest contributors to the increase, up by 4.9pc and 1.5pc, respectively. Machinery and equipment, metallurgy, chemicals and pharmacy products pushed up the Brazilian industry in 2025, despite a 5.3pc slump in the production of oil products and biofuels. Production of durable and intermediate goods — feedstocks for industries that do not directly reach the final consumer — rose by 2.5pc and 1.5pc in 2025, respectively, from a year earlier. Brazilian auto industry, crude and natural gas production helped lead gains, IBGE said. Brazil's central bank has kept its target interest rate stable at 15pc since June 2025. Brazil's headline inflation decelerated to an annual 4.26pc in December . By João Curi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil’s Gerdau restarts steel billet plant

03/02/26
03/02/26

Brazil’s Gerdau restarts steel billet plant

Sao Paulo, 3 February (Argus) — Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau restarted a steel billet plant in the northeastern state of Ceara, with capacity to produce 160,000 metric tonnes (t)/yr of crude steel. The restart of the plant, which was shut down in May 2024 for renovation, is part of Gerdau's strategy to strengthen its position as a supplier in the north and northeast as local buyers rely heavily on imports. High domestic freight costs from steelmaking hubs in the southeast discourage trade with other Brazilian mills. Gerdau uses local mini-mills as a strategy to cut freight costs and increase its domestic product appeal. The plant in Maracanau city now produces 12m-long billets. Longer billets reduce waste, improve lamination efficiency and boost overall plant productivity. Billets are used to produce other long-steel products like rebar, wire rod and structural sections. Ferrous scrap is the main feedstock for billets, Gerdau said. The company will roll the billets internally instead of selling them to third parties, it said. The semi-finished steel from the restarted plant will also feed another nearby mini-mill in Caucaia. The company invested R200mn ($38mn) in the plant to increase effectiveness and reduce environmental impacts, it said. But its capacity remains unchanged. By Isabel Filgueiras Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US' Tesla to advance humanoid robot production

03/02/26
03/02/26

US' Tesla to advance humanoid robot production

Beijing, 3 February (Argus) — US electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla is on track to unveil its third-generation humanoid robot in 2026, which will become the company's first mass-produced model in this category — a development with potential long-term implications for rare earths demand. The third-generation humanoid robot can acquire new skills by observing human actions, according to a video released by Tesla on Chinese social media platform Weibo on 2 February. Users can train the robot through physical demonstration, verbal instruction, or even video examples, after which it will be capable of performing the task. This robot was developed independently of existing supply chains, with its engineering team designing it "from first principles", Tesla said. Production is projected to reach 1mn units/yr, although no specific timeline was provided. Tesla has actively advanced humanoid robotics in recent years, unveiling its Optimus prototype, also known as Tesla Bot, in August 2021. The robot utilises the same core software that powers Tesla's full self-driving technology and is intended for deployment within Tesla factories to alleviate labour shortages. Humanoid robots are emerging as a significant new source of demand for metals, particularly rare earths. Industry estimates indicate that a single humanoid robot typically requires 3.5–4kg of rare earth permanent magnets. China is also positioning itself as a leader in humanoid robotics development. The country's humanoid robot output could reach 59mn units by 2050, industry projections suggest. Chinese industrial robot manufacturer Lens Technology is advancing plans to substantially expand its humanoid robot assembly capacity in 2026. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Argus Seaborne Coal Outlook

Argus Seaborne Coal Outlook

Análisis independiente, pronósticos de precios confiables y análisis de datos para ayudarle a tomar mejores decisiones.

Argus Line Pipe

Argus Line Pipe

Evaluaciones del precio, perspectivas y comentarios sobre el mercado, noticias y análisis para el mercado de tuberías.

Argus Battery Materials

Explore las evaluaciones del precio de los materiales de baterías respaldadas por análisis diarios del mercado, pronósticos y poderosas herramientas.

Argus Tungsten Analytics

Análisis del mercado y pronósticos a 10 años sobre la oferta, demanda, precios y proyectos de tungsteno.

Argus Scrap Markets

Evaluaciones confiables del precio de la chatarra en metales ferrosos y metales no ferrosos.
Generic Hero Banner

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more