ManufAi

Major price squeeze in EV-battery raw materials Suppliers of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NCM) precursor materials in China are demanding higher contract prices after cobalt more than doubled in price, triggered by export restrictions from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Reuters

Utilities commit > US$1 trillion to energy-transition supply chains Members of the Utilities for Net Zero Alliance (UNEZA) announced at COP30 that annual investment in the energy transition will rise to US $148 billion (up from US $117 billion) and mobilise more than US $1 trillion by 2030 — a major supply-chain play spanning renewables, grids, storage. Energy Connects

Four-in-five supply-chain leaders expect disruptions to persist for 1–2 more years A survey by Maersk found ~80 % of European cargo-owners expect supply-chain volatility to continue for at least the next 12-24 months. Key concerns: tariff fluctuations (46 %), rising trade barriers (43 %), uncertain trade policies (40 %). Maersk

Tariffs now hitting nearly half of U.S. imports — supply-chain cost pressure mounting Analysing U.S. Census data, the Institute for Supply Management notes that nearly 50 % of U.S. imports are now subject to steep tariffs (thanks to new trade policy post-January). ISM World

Global battery-energy-storage system (BESS) roll-out jumps 29 % year-on-year According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, 12.7 GWh of new grid-scale battery-storage capacity came online in October 2025 (up 29 % y/y), with China leading (~8.8 GWh). Rho Motion