Shares of Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) plunged almost 7% in early trading on Wednesday, while those of Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN), Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR), and IGO (ASX:IGO) were each down over 5%, after Bloomberg News reported that Chinese authorities approved the reserve report from Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), citing people familiar with the matter.
The reserve report approval brings CATL's Jianxiawo lithium mine closer to a mining permit. However, there is no guarantee for the mine's restart after it has been suspended due to failure to extend an expired permit.