Advanced Magnet Lab (AML) is scaling a wire-like manufacturing process for permanent magnets, enabling samarium nitride and manganese-bismuth compositions that are poorly suited to conventional press-and-sinter NdFeB routes dominated by China. Operating at pilot scale and targeting roughly 100 tonnes per year rather than 10,000-tonne megaprojects, AML is qualifying MnBi magnets with motor OEMs and ramping NdFeB output for defence and specialty uses, with samarium nitride furthest advanced. OEMs are reportedly paying US$10–20/kg premiums for diversified, traceable supply, while magnet-making equipment faces 14–20 month lead times.

Builders’ merchants’ like-for-like value sales in Britain slipped 0.4% year-on-year in November 2025, with volumes down 8.5% and prices up 3.7%, while unadjusted takings fell 5.1% due to one fewer trading day. Renewables & Water Saving and Workwear & Safetywear grew by 5.1% and 4.0% respectively, but Timber & Joinery Products fell 2.4% and Heavy Building Materials dropped 8.4%, signalling continued weakness in core structural categories. Over the 12 months to November 2025, like-for-like sales edged up 1.1% as volumes rose 1.9% and prices eased 1.2%, indicating a flat but slightly cheaper materials market.

Aqua Metals and American Battery Factory have signed a non-binding MOU to evaluate co-locating an Aqua Metals lithium-ion recycling plant next to ABF’s planned LFP cell gigafactory in Tucson, Arizona, creating a closed-loop route for manufacturing scrap. The proposed commercial facility would process up to 10,000 tonnes per year of lithium-ion materials and return battery-grade lithium carbonate directly into ABF’s supply chain or to designated offtakers, using Aqua Metals’ electricity-powered AquaRefining system instead of conventional pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy. Aqua Metals is already targeting 2027 supply of up to 1,000 tonnes per year of recycled nickel carbonate to Westwin Elements under a separate LOI.