ANALYST DESK
Insights
Long-form analysis from the STRATEGIA analyst desk — sourcing playbooks, regulatory deep-dives and market structure briefs. Updated as the policy landscape shifts.
- Sourcing playbook 12 min read·2026-05-15
Sourcing refined cobalt outside China in 2026: a practical playbook
78% of refined cobalt is processed in China. Here is the procurement-grade route map to qualified non-Chinese tonnes — from DRC mid-stream channeling to Belgian and Canadian recyclers.
READ - Sourcing playbook 14 min read·2026-05-15
Sourcing battery-grade lithium carbonate outside China: 2026 supplier landscape
Australian spodumene and Chilean brine dominate the upstream. The refining bottleneck is moving to Canada, the US Gulf Coast, and Western Australia. Here is the supplier map.
READ - Regulatory 11 min read·2026-05-15
Rare earths after MOFCOM's export-license expansion: the 2026 supplier reality
Chinese export licenses now cover finished magnets and motor sub-assemblies. Lynas, MP Materials, Iluka and Neo Silmet are the four qualified routes. Here is what is at-scale, when, and at what premium.
READ - Regulatory 9 min read·2026-05-15
Battery-anode graphite outside China after the USTR 25% tariff
Section 301 anode-grade graphite tariff takes effect 2027-01-01. Mozambique, Madagascar and Québec are the three serious non-Chinese options. Here are the qualification timelines.
READ - Sourcing playbook 10 min read·2026-05-15
Class-1 nickel outside China and Indonesia: the qualified-buyer challenge
Indonesia controls 55% of mined nickel but most of it converts through Chinese-built HPAL. Canada, Australia and Brazil are the alternatives — at a cost premium and ramp delay.
READ - Sourcing playbook 8 min read·2026-05-15
Gallium and germanium after China's export controls: where the Western tonnes come from
China controls 94% of gallium and 83% of germanium production. Export controls active since 2023. Belgium, Russia (sanctioned), Japan and Korea are the alternative routes — at radically smaller scale.
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