Resolution: reported by Nov 1st that at least four mines operating as of Aug 31st 2025 will suspend operations some time in Sep or October.

Resolution criteria

• Resolve YES if, by 23:59 China Standard Time on November 1, 2025, there are credible reports that at least four distinct lepidolite mines located in Yichun, Jiangxi, which were operating as of August 31, 2025, suspended mining operations with a suspension start date between September 1–October 31, 2025 (inclusive). “Suspend” means a halt to ore extraction (停产/暂停开采/停产整改); curtailments or “reduced output” do not count. Processing/refining shutdowns without a mine halt do not count. Multi-pit sites under one mining license count as one mine; separate licenses count separately. If a mine halted before September (e.g., in August) it does not count unless a new, separately reported suspension begins in September/October.

• Acceptable evidence: official notices from the Yichun Natural Resources Bureau or Ministry of Natural Resources; exchange filings by operators on Chinese disclosure platforms; and/or coverage by reputable outlets (e.g., Reuters, Bloomberg, Mining.com, Benchmark) that cites such notices or company statements. The creator will use the most authoritative source when reports conflict. Examples of acceptable source venues: Yichun Natural Resources Bureau notices; Reuters; Mining.com; Shanghai Metals Market/Metal.com. (mining.com, reuters.com, metal.com)

• Resolve NO otherwise.

Background

• On July 7, 2025, Yichun’s Natural Resources Bureau ordered eight lithium-involved mines to submit reserve verification reports and change their registered mineral category by September 30 due to licensing inconsistencies, signaling possible compliance-related halts. (mining.com, finance.sina.com.cn, crugroup.com)

• China’s revised Mineral Resources Law (effective July 2025) designates lithium as a strategic mineral and centralizes approval, tightening oversight of Yichun’s lepidolite industry. (asiatimes.com)

• CATL’s Jianxiawo lepidolite mine in Yichun suspended in August 2025 due to permit expiry, illustrating regulatory pressure (note: August suspensions only count if a new halt starts in September/October). (reuters.com)

Considerations

• Many Yichun operations historically held “ceramic clay/kaolin” licenses while extracting lithium from lepidolite; required reclassification could trigger temporary suspensions in September/October. (mining.com, caifuhao.eastmoney.com)

• Chinese-language announcements (govt portals/WeChat) may be primary; archived copies or exchange filings are acceptable if originals are temporarily inaccessible. (finance.sina.com.cn)

• Traders should distinguish mine-level halts from downstream plant outages and verify whether counted sites are distinct mining licenses within Yichun. (crugroup.com)

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