PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for July 3, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Media Outreach

At the forum, Bill Deng, XTransfer Founder and CEO, delivered a keynote in the session “China Platforms Go Global”. He described how Chinese e-commerce platforms have evolved from domestic “digital disruptors” to global “rule reshapers” and outlined key obstacles in cross-border payments, including compliance demands, geopolitics, and varying regulatory regimes. Deng noted that while deglobalization and geopolitical risks can weigh heavily on large enterprises, SMEs tend to be more resilient due to light-asset models and their ability to enter or exit markets quickly. In a fragmented global economy, SMEs can adapt faster, form new connections, and act as a “buffer” that supports stability and deeper global integration.

Deng was also invited to attend a closed-door meeting between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and business representatives, as well as multiple closed-door strategic discussions in the financial sector, where views were exchanged on payment risk management, international cooperation, and trends in Chinese companies expanding overseas.

Deng shared, “China’s expansion is moving from ‘trade going global’ toward ‘ecosystem going global’ spanning manufacturing, brands, culture, and financial services, with SMEs playing a central role.” He added that emerging markets are becoming new growth hotspots and urged businesses to leverage supply-chain strengths and move early into markets with strong demand and relatively limited competition.

Deng also shared that XTransfer has grown rapidly in recent years, with over 890,000 registered customers, partnerships with more than 170 financial institutions and provides services across 200+ countries and regions. In 2025, the platform processed over US$60 billion TPV, becoming the world’s largest B2B cross-border trade payment platform.

He emphasised that risk control and compliance are the toughest challenges for cross-border payments. XTransfer’s self-developed LLM, TradePilot, has helped keep the fraud rate at 0.003%, among the industry’s lowest, enabling SMEs to transact safely, efficiently, and compliantly in global expansion.

https://www.xtransfer.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cn

Hashtag: #XTransfer #summerdavos #WEF #CrossborderPayment

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Media Outreach

Key Highlights:

• Jollibee Group brands Jollibee, Mang Inasal, and Chowking ranked as the Philippines’ top three most valuable restaurant brands in the Brand Finance Philippines 50 2026 report.
• The Philippine restaurant sector reached approximately USD4.1 billion in brand value, growing 29% year-on-year, with Jollibee accounting for around 80% of total sector value.
• Jollibee ranked No. 2 in brand value across all Philippine brands for the third consecutive year, with brand value rising by approximately 32% to USD3.3 billion, supported by strong brand strength and global recognition as the fifth-strongest restaurant brand worldwide.
• Mang Inasal rose significantly in brand strength, emerging as No. 2 across Philippine restaurant and non-restaurant brands, with brand value increasing 28% to USD482 million, and earning recognition among Brand Finance’s “Brands to Watch” for 2026.
• Jollibee Foods Corporation’s broader portfolio includes Tim Ho Wan, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Compose Coffee, reflecting a multi-brand, multi-market platform that extends beyond its Philippine restaurant brands.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2026 – Jollibee Group brands Jollibee, Mang Inasal, and Chowking were recognized in the Brand Finance Philippines 50 2026 report as the country’s top three most valuable restaurant brands, with Jollibee leading the restaurant sector and accounting for around 80% of total restaurant brand value.

The report places the three brands within the broader context of the Philippines’ top-performing corporate brands, where brand value and brand strength are increasingly tied to consumer demand, pricing strength, resilience, and long-term business value.

According to Brand Finance, the Philippine restaurant sector reached approximately USD4.1 billion in brand value, growing 29% year-on-year, with Jollibee accounting for around 80% of total restaurant brand value.

Jollibee Ranks No. 2 Most Valuable Philippine Brand for Third Consecutive Year; Mang Inasal Rises to No. 2 Strongest Brand Overall

The report ranked Jollibee No. 2 in brand value across Philippine restaurant and non-restaurant brands for the third consecutive year. The brand also received a Brand Strength Index score of 87.9 out of 100, placing it as the fifth-strongest restaurant brand worldwide in the Brand Finance Restaurants 25 2026 report, where it was cited as the only Philippine and Southeast Asian brand included in the global ranking.

Brand Finance attributed Jollibee’s performance to stronger brand strength, sustained customer demand, and strong brand appeal across core markets. The report also linked the brand’s momentum to same-store sales growth, rising transaction volumes, revenue growth, record systemwide sales, continued U.S. expansion, and successful expansion in Vietnam, marked by the opening of its 200th store in the market.

Mang Inasal delivered one of the report’s most notable improvements, rising from seventh to second in brand strength across Philippine restaurant and non-restaurant brands. Its Brand Strength Index advanced 7.4 points to 95.2 out of 100, from 87.8 in 2025, lifting its brand strength rating from AAA to AAA+. Its brand value grew 28% to USD482 million, supporting its inclusion among Brand Finance’s “Brands to Watch” for 2026.

Brand Finance credited Mang Inasal’s performance to its position within Jollibee Foods Corporation, including scale, operational support, and broad market visibility.

Chowking also advanced in the Brand Finance Philippines 50 2026 report, rising to No. 31 among the country’s most valuable brands.

Beyond these Philippine brand rankings, Jollibee Foods Corporation operates a broader global portfolio of 20 brands with more than 10,400 stores and cafés across 33 countries, including Tim Ho Wan, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Compose Coffee, Smashburger, Highlands Coffee, Milksha, and other brands across fast food, coffee and tea, bakery, casual dining, and beverage technology.

Ernesto Tanmantiong, Chief Executive Officer of Jollibee Foods Corporation, said: “These recognitions reflect the enduring strength of our brands and the trust we have earned from consumers across generations. Strong brands are strategic assets: they deepen customer loyalty, support sustainable growth, and enhance the resilience of our business, particularly in a dynamic operating environment.

“These rankings are more than brand accolades; they offer a view into the intrinsic value we are building every day. Notably, Jollibee’s brand value of USD3.3 billion alone represents a substantial level relative to our current market capitalization, highlighting a meaningful opportunity to convert brand strength into sustained, long-term value for our shareholders.”

Hashtag: #JollibeeGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: New Zealand Government

The latest set of government accounts supports other evidence that the economy is strengthening, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.

The Financial Statements of the Government for the 11 months to May show core Crown revenue up $1.7 billion on the forecasts in the Budget and core Crown expenses $900 million lower than forecast.

“The biggest contributor to the improvement in Crown revenue was corporate tax revenue being $700 million higher than forecast. This is positive because it indicates an overall increase in profitability for the business sector.

“The headline operating balance indicator, OBEGALx shows the deficit for the 11 months was $6.8 billion, $3 billion lower than forecast at the Budget,” Nicola Willis says. 

“These are a very encouraging set of accounts. New Zealand has been through a difficult few years, but Kiwis can take heart from the underlying strength of the economy.  

“All the indications are that the conflict in the Middle East slowed growth in the second quarter of this year, but that the economy is already regaining the momentum it had developed before the conflict began. 

“Oil prices have fallen towards pre-conflict levels, inflation expectations have declined, business confidence has rebounded, tourist numbers are up and exports are continuing to generate high returns.  

“The Crown accounts for the full year won’t be finalised until early October and further variance is likely but these are positive signs the books will be in better shape than forecast at Budget.

“That means less debt and more proof that the steps the government has taken to fix the basics and build the future are working.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/02/government-books-reflect-improving-economy/

Source: Media Outreach

Singapore-based companies have committed more than S$5.5 billion in Johor since the JS-SEZ memorandum of understanding, while IMFC-J reported 1,000 enquiries linked to RM73 billion in potential investment in March 2026.

JOHOR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2026 – Forest City Special Financial Zone (Forest City SFZ) today issued a progress update on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), pointing to early implementation milestones in investment facilitation, financial-services incentives and cross-border connectivity.

The JS-SEZ agreement, signed on 7 January 2025, covers approximately 3,588 square kilometres across southern Johor. It comprises nine flagship areas and targets investment in 11 sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, financial services, the digital economy, tourism, education, healthcare and the green economy. Forest City is the designated financial-services flagship within the framework.

“The JS-SEZ has moved beyond framework design and into early-stage execution. Forest City has a defined role in financial services and family-office activity, while the wider zone is building a pipeline across multiple industries,” a Forest City SFZ spokesperson said.

Investment pipeline builds across the JS-SEZ

Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said Singapore-based companies had committed more than S$5.5 billion in investments into Johor since the JS-SEZ memorandum of understanding was signed in January 2024. The figure was highlighted at the second JS-SEZ Joint Investment Forum in Singapore in October 2025.

On the Malaysian side, the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J) reported in March 2026 that it had received 1,000 investor enquiries and was facilitating RM73 billion in potential investment.

IMFC-J is a joint federal-state one-stop centre led by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Invest Johor and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.

The figures represent investment commitments and potential project value rather than fully realised capital expenditure, but provide an early measure of the commercial pipeline forming around the economic corridor.

Forest City builds financial-services proposition

Malaysia announced the Forest City SFZ incentive package in September 2024, followed by the gazettement of the Single Family Office (SFO) tax rules in October 2025. Under the scheme, a qualifying SFO vehicle may receive a 0% tax rate on eligible investment income for an initial 10-year period, with a possible extension for a further 10 years, subject to asset, local investment, staffing and operating-expenditure requirements.

The initial phase requires at least RM30 million in assets under management. The wider Forest City incentive framework also includes a 5% corporate tax rate for qualifying global-services and selected relocation activities, while eligible knowledge workers in the JS-SEZ may qualify for a 15% personal income tax rate, subject to prevailing rules and approvals.

According to Forest City data, nine family offices had received approvals under the scheme by June 2026. The Securities Commission Malaysia had previously reported more than 30 expressions of interest and has set a target of RM2 billion in SFO assets under management by the end of 2026.

Separately, Forest City said 593 applicants were approved for the SFZ category of the Malaysia My Second Home programme between 1 October 2024 and 31 March 2026, indicating demand from investors, professionals and long-stay residents alongside the financial-services push.

Cross-border measures support the dual-market model

The JS-SEZ framework is intended to combine Johor’s land, industrial capacity and cost base with Singapore’s capital, connectivity and business ecosystem. Measures under the bilateral framework include investor facilitation, automated immigration channels, paperless goods clearance and improved transport links.

Singapore has rolled out QR-code immigration clearance across travel modes at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints. Travellers should continue to carry their passports, which may still be required for verification and for clearance at the Malaysian border.

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link is targeted to begin passenger service by the end of 2026. The four-kilometre line will connect Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North in about five minutes and is designed to carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction during peak periods.

Execution and conversion remain the next test

The World Bank projects Malaysia’s economy to expand by 4.4% in 2026, supported by domestic demand, while warning that trade restrictions, global policy uncertainty and weaker external demand remain downside risks.

For the JS-SEZ, the next phase will be measured by the conversion of enquiries and commitments into approved projects, realised investment, skilled employment and operating businesses. Delivery of transport, utilities, talent development and regulatory coordination will also determine the pace at which companies adopt a cross-border operating model.

“The early indicators are encouraging, but the economic impact should be assessed over a multi-year horizon. The priority now is to convert the pipeline into sustainable business activity, jobs and a deeper professional-services ecosystem,” the spokesperson said.

Forest City SFZ said it will continue working with public agencies, financial institutions and professional-service providers to support family offices, international investors and companies evaluating Johor as part of their regional growth strategy.

Key figures

Hashtag: #ForestCity

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Forest City Special Financial Zone

Located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Forest City Special Financial Zone (FCSFZ) is Malaysia’s pioneering special financial zone and the financial-services flagship within the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone. It is positioned to attract financial institutions, multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals and businesses operating in wealth management, financial technology and global business services.

Its incentive framework includes a 0% income tax rate for qualifying Single Family Office Vehicles for up to 20 years, a preferential 5% corporate tax rate for approved qualifying activities, and a special 15% personal income tax rate for eligible knowledge workers, subject to the applicable conditions, regulatory approvals and prevailing legislation. Forest City also holds duty-free island status, further strengthening its appeal as a regional investment, business and wealth-management destination near Singapore.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

NEW YORK, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IREN Limited (NASDAQ: IREN) (“IREN”) today announced the appointment of Kambiz Aghili as Chief Product Officer and Michael Nudelman as Chief Development Officer.

These San Francisco-based appointments bring additional depth to IREN’s development and product teams as the Company continues to expand its AI Cloud offering across new markets and services.

As Chief Product Officer, Mr. Aghili will lead IREN’s product strategy and roadmap for its AI Cloud platform, including its bare metal GPU offering, managed services and broader product capabilities. He joins from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, where he served as Vice President of Products, spearheading strategy and development of its native multi-cloud platform across Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

As Chief Development Officer, Mr. Nudelman will lead IREN’s global data center development strategy and the expansion of its 5GW secured grid-connected power portfolio across existing and new markets, including advancing site planning, permitting and economic development incentives. He brings more than two decades of experience in data center development, energy, finance and management, having held senior roles at Google, CyrusOne and Beale Infrastructure.

Together, the appointments strengthen all three layers of IREN’s vertically integrated AI Cloud platform: data centers (power, land, substations, buildings and cooling), compute (chips, storage, servers and networking) and software (managed services and enterprise support).

Daniel Roberts, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of IREN, said:

“IREN’s growth comes down to securing large-scale land and power in the right markets and building the full AI stack on top of it.

Kambiz brings deep product leadership from one of the world’s leading cloud platforms, and Michael brings a proven track record in hyperscale data center development. We’re excited to have both of them join IREN at an important stage of our growth.”

About IREN

IREN is a vertically integrated AI Cloud provider, delivering large-scale data centers and GPU clusters for AI training and inference. IREN’s platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and power in renewable-rich regions across North America, Europe and APAC.

Contacts

Investors
ir@iren.com

Media
media@iren.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or IREN’s future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements include information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business plan and strategies, revenue targets, expectations relating to capital expenditures, anticipated hardware deliveries, and trends we expect to affect our business. These statements often include words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “may,” “can,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “project,” “strive,” “budget,” “forecast,” “expect,” “intend,” “target”, “will,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “scheduled”. Forward-looking statements may also be made, verbally or in writing, by members of our Board or management team in connection with this news release.

These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause IREN’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including IREN’s ability to successfully execute on its growth strategies and operating plans, achieve its targeted annualized run-rate revenue and operating capacity, continue to develop its existing data center sites, design and deploy direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems, and diversify and expand into the market for high performance computing solutions (including the market for cloud services and potential colocation services), along with other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in IREN’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on August 28, 2025 and our other filings with the SEC. These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any forward-looking statement included in this press release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, IREN disclaims any obligation to update or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

– Published by The MIL Network

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Transformational asset integration & strategic scale: IperionX has successfully completed the acquisition of the Camden critical mineral, heavy rare earths, and infrastructure assets. Highly synergistic with the adjacent Titan Project in Tennessee, this acquisition materially consolidates and expands IperionX’s landholding across the Big Sandy Critical Minerals Province.
• Ultra-high-grade surface stockpiles: Decades of historical high-purity silica sand operations have effectively pre-processed the heavy critical mineral fractions. This has generated approximately 70 acres of at-surface, ultra-high-grade critical mineral stockpiles, uniquely enriched in titanium, zircon, and high-value rare earth minerals.
• Exceptional stockpile assay results (up to 10x uplift): Grab samples from the surface stockpiles returned outstanding Total Heavy Minerals (THM) grading up to 21.5%. Previous 1-ton bulk samples yielded 9.9% and 23.0% THM — an exceptional 5x to 10x uplift compared to Titan’s average Mineral Resource grade.
• Accelerated ‘stockpile-first’ pathway: Accessing at-surface, pre-processed critical minerals provides vital ‘starter feedstocks’ with the potential to reduce capital intensity and lower mining and processing costs.
• Large-scale, pre-stripped Lower McNairy advantage: Historical silica operations at Camden successfully “pre-stripped” approximately 180 acres of overburden, providing rapid, near zero-strip-ratio access to the Lower McNairy mineralization — historically proven by drilling at Titan to hold the highest grade and richest assemblage of high-value heavy rare earth, titanium and zircon minerals.
• Turnkey infrastructure potentially reduces CAPEX: The acquired site provides an established industrial footprint with active grid power, water, natural gas utilities, and heavy-haul rail access. This provides the potential to significantly de-risk development timelines and reduce capital expenditure that is currently included in Titan DFS capital cost build up.
• Heavy rare earths upside: Mineralization in the McNairy formation has been proven to be rich in monazite and xenotime – heavy rare earth containing critical minerals typically rich in dysprosium (Dy), terbium (Tb), and yttrium (Y) – which are vital for advanced U.S. industries.
• Minerals-to-metals integration: Camden-Titan is a potential near-term supply of upstream American-sourced critical minerals, while IperionX’s downstream mineral and titanium technologies and Virginia titanium manufacturing platform provide the pathway to finished U.S. titanium metal products.
• Strategic funding engagement: IperionX will engage U.S. government stakeholders, downstream processors, and strategic customers as further technical and economic data becomes available.
• 2026 Camden-Titan techno-economic roadmap: IperionX is now advancing an accelerated work program prioritizing sonic drilling of stockpiles, advanced metallurgical test work, infrastructure optimization, with an integrated Camden-Titan techno-economic study targeted by the end of 2026.

IperionX CEO Taso Arima said:

“The strategic importance of Camden is now clear, it gives IperionX a turnkey platform adjacent to Titan with mineral rights, ultra-high-grade stockpiles, established infrastructure and the potential to accelerate U.S.-sourced rare earth and critical mineral feedstock supply.

The most powerful feature of Camden is that the opportunity starts at surface with exceptional grades. These stockpiles have already been mined, moved and pre-processed through historical silica sand operations, creating ultra-high-grade starter feedstocks containing titanium, zircon and rare-earth-bearing minerals such as monazite and xenotime.

Camden also adds ready-access to approximately 180 acres of pre-stripped Lower McNairy mineralized areas, which could further enhance development scalability of the Camden-Titan platform. This gives IperionX the potential opportunity for a faster, lower-capital-intensity and lower opex development pathway.

The United States is investing across rare earth processing, metallization, alloying and magnet manufacturing. But downstream capacity requires secure upstream mineral feed. Camden-Titan is now positioned as a unique upstream opportunity for strategically vital titanium, zircon and rare-earth-bearing mineral products, sourced securely from the United States.

Camden does not replace Titan, it strengthens it. Together, Camden and Titan have the potential to accelerate long-term domestic supply of titanium, zircon and heavy rare earth feedstocks, crucially – dysprosium, terbium and yttrium – into markets that are central to national security, advanced manufacturing, electrification, aerospace and high-performance magnet technologies.”

SOUTH BOSTON, Va., July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IperionX Limited (NASDAQ: IPX, ASX: IPX) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Camden critical mineral, property, and infrastructure assets acquisition, located adjacent to the Titan Critical Minerals Project and within the Big Sandy Critical Minerals Province in Tennessee.

Increased Scale + Accelerated Commercialization

The Camden acquisition combines four value-drivers that are rarely available together in a U.S. critical minerals development project:

• Scale: Adjacent mineral sands position increases the scale of the combined Camden-Titan project.
• Ultra-high-grade stockpiles: Pre-mined, pre-processed critical mineral stockpiles of approximately 70 acres at surface.
• Pre-stripped mineralization: approximately 180 acres of near-zero-overburden access to the rich Lower McNairy seam.
• Established, turnkey infrastructure: Ready-to-use industrial assets, utilities and rail infrastructure.

Camden’s historical silica sand operations created this opportunity. For decades, the operation was optimized to produce high-purity silica. The commercial processing circuits were not designed to recover titanium, zircon or rare-earth-bearing minerals; instead, those heavier mineral fractions were separated from the silica product stream and accumulated in surface stockpiles.

IperionX has now secured those stockpiles, along with the surrounding mineral rights, pre-stripped Lower McNairy areas and established industrial infrastructure. This converts a historical processing blind spot into a potential strategic catalyst: at-surface critical-mineral-bearing stockpiles that may be evaluated as an early high-grade starter feed for the district-scale Camden-Titan critical minerals platform.

The strategic opportunity is clear: Titan brings district-scale mineralization; Camden brings high-grade surface stockpiles, established infrastructure and a potential ultra-high-grade stockpile-first development pathway.

Unlocking Camden’s Ultra-High-Grade Surface Stockpiles

Two 1-ton bulk samples were collected from these pre-processed surface stockpiles in 2020 which returned exceptional grades of 9.9% and 23.0% THM, with historical drilling indicating depths of approximately 12 meters of mineral stockpiles prior to intersecting the Lower McNairy formation. Subsequent exploration grab sampling in 2025 consistently returned ultra-high-grades of ~20% THM. When compared to the Titan Project’s Resource Estimate of 431 Mt at 2.2% THM, this material represents an outstanding 5x to 10x grade uplift.

Figure 1: Illustrative example of the potential benefits attributable to high grade feedstocks in mineral extraction and processing operations.

In practical terms, higher-grade feedstock can potentially mean less material needs to be moved and processed to produce a given amount of heavy mineral concentrate. That can be important for plant size, capital intensity, operating cost and speed to first product, subject to resource definition, metallurgical recoveries, product quality and customer qualification.

This grade advantage also has a very significant impact for the in-situ proportion of the heavy rare earth bearing minerals monazite and xenotime, which are often found in very low concentrations in mineral sand deposits. The pre-concentrating and stockpiling of these minerals through historic silica operations provides the potential for rare earth values in excess of those found in commercial operations in developments around the globe. As an example, the grab samples grading at 19% or greater have an average in-situ monazite + xenotime value of approximately 1,100 ppm (along with average in-situ grades of rutile and zircon of 2.1% and 1.1% respectively).

IperionX will accelerate a drilling campaign at Camden to quantify the stockpiled material with the intent of delivering a mineral resource estimate for this material class.

Camden Pre-Stripped Advantage: Ready-access to high-grade Lower McNairy mineralization

Historical mining at Camden effectively removed the overburden (“pre-stripped”) across approximately 180 acres, directly exposing the Lower McNairy high-grade mineralized formation – known to be rich in heavy minerals, including rare earths. At the Titan Project this seam makes up about 70% of the minerals contained within the total mineral resource estimate, with grades of rutile, ilmenite and zircon approximately 2x the concentration of the Upper McNairy, and grades of rare earths approximately 10x the concentration of the Upper McNairy.

The significant amount of pre-stripping allows the potential for rapid mining development of the Lower McNairy formation without incurring significant cost of pre-stripping the overburden as well as hauling and sorting the related material.

IperionX intends to initiate a drill campaign at Camden in the coming months to quantify the material that has been pre-stripped, with the intent of delivering a mineral resource estimate for this material class.

Figure 2: Mining development areas at Camden (upper LHS) highlighting the extensive pre-stripped exposed Lower McNairy formation aligned with the regional stratigraphic column (RHS).

Figure 3: Camden acquisition in relation to the Titan Critical Minerals Project.

Turnkey Infrastructure: De-risking Capex and Timelines

The existing Camden infrastructure is highly strategic as it is an established industrial minerals processing hub with active high-voltage power, industrial-scale water, natural gas, and heavy-haul rail infrastructure. The potential to integrate Titan’s planned mineral processing into Camden’s existing infrastructure footprint provides an opportunity to reduce execution risk and capital requirements that are currently included in Titan DFS capital cost build up.

Camden-Titan: The upstream heavy rare earth feedstock platform the U.S. supply chain needs

The United States is rapidly rebuilding its rare-earth-to-magnet supply chain, with growing investment in refining, separation, metallization, alloying and magnet production. Yet one of the most important vulnerabilities remains upstream: secure domestic heavy rare earth-bearing mineral feedstock.

This is particularly important for dysprosium, terbium and yttrium — heavy rare earths that are vital for high-performance NdFeB magnets used in defense, aerospace, electric vehicles, drones, robotics and high-temperature advanced technology applications. Without reliable, uninterruptible heavy rare earth-bearing feedstocks, downstream processing and magnet capacity remains exposed to the same strategic supply-chain risk the United States is working to eliminate.

Camden-Titan is positioned to help address this upstream vulnerability by evaluating a domestic mineral sands platform that uniquely combines:

• The large-scale Titan Project with rare earth and critical minerals
• Ultra-high-grade Camden surface stockpiles
• Existing turnkey infrastructure
• Large-scale, pre-stripped, higher-grade Lower McNairy seam access
• Secure, strategically positioned location in Tennessee, USA

Subject to resource definition, metallurgical qualification and development studies, Camden-Titan has the potential to become a strategically important U.S.-origin feedstock platform for titanium, zircon and rare-earth-bearing mineral products. Camden-Titan has the potential to underpin the long-term upstream feedstock foundation needed to support the U.S. buildout of rare earth refining, metal, alloy and magnet capacity.

Figure 4: U.S. rare earths supply chain components and associated U.S. Government funding¹.

Next steps and development catalysts

IperionX is now advancing a series of techno-economic activities to define the integrated Camden-Titan commercial development pathway. Key 2026 milestones include:

• Resource Definition: Sonic drilling of the 70-acre surface stockpiles and 180-acre pre-stripped zones to establish a formal JORC/S-K 1300 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate.
• Metallurgy: Detailed assemblage analysis to optimize recoveries of titanium, zircon, monazite, and xenotime.
• Commercial Engagement: Fast-tracked commercial qualification with downstream processors, strategic customers, and U.S. Government stakeholders.
• Integrated Economic Studies: Delivery of an integrated economic assessment for the development of the Camden-Titan complex.

This announcement has been authorized for release by the CEO and Managing Director.

For further information and enquiries please contact:

info@iperionx.com
+1 980 237 8900

About IperionX

IperionX is a leading American titanium metal and critical materials company – using patented metal technologies to produce high performance titanium alloys, from titanium minerals or scrap titanium, at lower energy, cost and carbon emissions.

Our Titan critical minerals project is the largest JORC-compliant mineral resource of titanium, rare earth and zircon mineral sands in the United States.

IperionX’s titanium metal and critical minerals are essential for advanced U.S. industries including space, aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, fasteners, automotive and additive manufacturing.

Forward Looking Statements

Information included in this release constitutes forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “continue”, and “guidance”, or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives of management, anticipated production or construction commencement dates and expected costs or production outputs.

Forward looking statements inherently involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance, and achievements to differ materially from any forecast future results, performance, or achievements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of mineralization, the Company’s ability to comply with the relevant contractual terms to access the technologies, commercially scale its closed-loop titanium production processes, or protect its intellectual property rights, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which the Company operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation.

Forward looking statements are based on the Company and its management’s good faith assumptions relating to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect the Company’s business and operations in the future. The Company does not give any assurance that the assumptions on which forward looking statements are based will prove to be correct, or that the Company’s business or operations will not be affected in any material manner by these or other factors not foreseen or foreseeable by the Company or management or beyond the Company’s control.

Although the Company attempts and has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements, or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of the Company. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward looking statements in these materials speak only at the date of issue. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange listing rules, in providing this information the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements or to advise of any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Competent Persons Statement

The information in this announcement that relates to Exploration Results is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled and/or reviewed by Mr. Adam Karst, P.G., a Competent Person who is a Registered Member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) which is a Recognized Professional Organization (RPO). Mr. Karst is an employee of Karst Geo Solutions, LLC. Mr. Karst has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style and type of mineralization present at the Titan Project and Camden areas and to the activity that he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the “Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves” (the 2012 JORC Code). Mr. Karst consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on this information in the form and context in which it appears.

Compliance Statement

This announcement contains information relating to a Mineral Resource Estimate and an Ore Reserve Estimate for the Titan deposit (where the Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Mr. John Eckman, a Competent Person, and the Ore Reserve Estimate was prepared by Mr. Justin Douthat, also a Competent Person) extracted from an ASX market announcement titled “IperionX Titan DFS Confirms High-Return U.S. Rare Earths and Critical Minerals Project” and published on the ASX platform (www.asx.com.au) on 4 June 2026. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the release of 4 June 2026 continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Persons’ findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.

The full release can be found here.

Contacts

Anastasios (Taso) Arima, Founder and CEO
Toby Symonds, President
Dominic Allen, Chief Commercial Officer

Investors: investorrelations@iperionx.com
Media: media@iperionx.com

+1 980 237 8900
www.iperionx.com

^{_____________________
1} Source: MP Materials (link), Energy Fuels (link), USA Rare Earths (link)

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80836bd0-5f2b-4a8a-861e-8fdcb0dbed89 

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ad3a6fb-ffa9-42d5-99bc-1e91dcc6609d 

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9b9e0bc5-5abb-4a4f-bfb6-2711b33c5084 

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2788712e-6827-48b8-a0f7-a3b0b9036703

– Published by The MIL Network

Source: New Zealand Government

Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Singapore and Japan next week. 

“Singapore is a great friend of New Zealand,” Mr Peters says. “Our bilateral collaboration, underpinned by our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributes significantly to New Zealand’s prosperity and security,” Mr Peters says.  

“With Singapore chairing ASEAN and New Zealand hosting the Pacific Islands Forum in 2027, we look forward to discussing how we can maximise our mutually beneficial relationship by deepening connections between our regions.” 

Mr Peters will meet with counterpart Foreign Minister Balakrishnan, as well as other senior Singaporean leaders to discuss further opportunities under our partnership, and exchange views on key regional and global challenges.  

In Japan, Mr Peters will meet political and business leaders. 

“New Zealand and Japan see the world in much the same way. In the increasingly contested and complex world, our work together is more important than ever,” Mr Peters says. 

“Our cooperation spans from deployment of defence assets to monitor UN sanctions on North Korea, to supporting free and open trade with New Zealand’s fourth largest export market, to shoring up the international rules-based order.”  

In meetings with business leaders, Mr Peters will discuss long-term investment provided by Japanese companies.    

“We look forward to strengthening commercial links and promoting New Zealand as a destination for further Japanese investment.” 

 Mr Peters departs New Zealand on Sunday 5 July, returning Sunday 12 July. 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/02/foreign-minister-to-visit-singapore-and-japan/

MIL OSI

Source: Media Outreach

• Data from DP World’s Global Trade Observatory shows 58% of Chinese supply-chain executives plan to increase suppliers and diversify sourcing in 2026
• Growth priorities are led by technology and market access, with respondents citing deploying AI (50%), digitalisation (44%), growing demand from new markets and consumers (43%) and new value chains (34%)

SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2026 – Despite recent disruption and uncertainty across global trade, Chinese companies are focused on long-term growth strategies centred on supply chain resilience, AI adoption and access to new markets, according to DP World’s Global Trade Observatory.

The international survey, which included 292 supply chain and logistics executives in China, shows companies looking beyond cost and scale alone as they adapt to a changing trade environment, with a clear focus on sourcing diversification, digital capability, new markets and practical trade facilitation.

When asked about strategic changes planned for 2026, the most popular option was increasing suppliers to diversify sourcing (58%), followed by near-shoring operations (38%), friend-shoring operations (36%), and increasing inventories (32%).

Businesses in China are using logistics networks to build a more layered approach to resilience: more suppliers, more route options, more regional flexibility and more ability to shift as rules, costs and demand change.

However, the drivers behind the strategic changes were not purely defensive. Across the strategic changes identified by Chinese supply-chain executives, the strongest drivers included sustainability and ESG requirements, new technology enabling operational change, greater agility and resilience, local market trade policies and incentives, response to tariffs, and new market entry.

Glen Hilton, CEO and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, DP World, said:

“China’s next trade advantage will come from resilience and adaptability, not just scale. Chinese companies are already diversifying suppliers, entering new corridors and investing in digital systems and AI. But that ambition creates most value when companies can see their cargo, switch between routes, clear borders, manage documentation and fulfil reliably across markets. What customers increasingly need is not a disconnected set of providers. They need an operating partner that can connect the physical and digital layers of trade – ports, terminals, freight forwarding, customs, warehousing, systems and last-mile execution. DP World is built to help make that complexity work at an international level, so businesses can keep moving even as routes, rules and demand change.”

Technology emerged as the leading growth priority. When asked about the top drivers of growth for their business over the coming one to three years, 50% of respondents identified deploying AI, 44% cited wider digitalisation, 43% cited growing demand from new markets and consumers, and 34% cited new value chains.

This emphasis on AI and digitalisation also aligns closely with the direction set out at China’s “Two Sessions”, where New Quality Productive Forces, including AI and advanced technologies, were positioned as central to the country’s next phase of economic development.

DP World, which provides end-to-end supply chain solutions and handles around 10% of global containerised trade, has seen these themes reflected in its work supporting customers in China across sectors including e-commerce, automotive, fashion and luxury, food and beverage, healthcare and technology.

Its capability in China combines global network reach with local operating expertise across freight forwarding, contract logistics, warehousing, customs and documentation support, ports and terminals, and technology-enabled supply-chain visibility. This is designed to help customers reduce hand-offs, improve control, and execute more reliably across borders.

Notes to Editors

The Global Trade Observatory survey was conducted in November 2025 and included 292 supply chain and logistics executives in China. Percentages are rounded and multi-select questions add to more than 100%.

A dedicated China Country Report with additional local insights is also available here

https://www.dpworld.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dp-world
https://twitter.com/DP_World

Hashtag: #DPWORLD

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Media Outreach

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 July 2026 – June 30, Hosted by BitAuto Tengyi Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., the BitAuto Malaysia Automotive Forum 2026 wrapped up successfully at Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur. Centered on the theme Integration & Symbiosis: Driving Malaysia’s New Automotive Growth, the event brought together local Malaysian automakers, Chinese EV brands expanding overseas, international OEMs, dealer groups, local content creators, and industry specialists. It served as a high-efficiency exchange platform to facilitate cross-industry dialogue between China and Malaysia’s automotive ecosystems, exploring new digitally-powered growth trajectories for the domestic auto market.

Key distinguished attendees included:
Mike Cui, Managing Director of GWM Malaysia

Stan Li Hao, Managing Director for Commercial Operations of GWM Malaysia

Michael Chew, Senior Director of Product Strategy & Corporate Sales CEO Office of Chery Corporate Malaysia

Lampard Peng Yile, Head of User Development and User Operations, Proton New Energy (Pro-Net) Sdn Bhd

Edward Wong, Malaysia Self-Operated Channel Sales Manager of SGMW

Oscar Wang, Co-Founder of JoyStar Dealer Group

Ken Lio Yu Chng, Head of Product Planning of TQ Wuling Manufacturing

Lim Jit Hau, Manager of User Development and User Operations, Proton New Energy (Pro-Net) Sdn Bhd

Gao Feng, Co-Founder of Beritarian

Dato’ Seri Paduka Prof. Dr. Steven Leow, Principal of Official TANK Owners Club Malaysia & President of IBC International Chamber of Commerce

Representatives from Zeekr, Leapmotor, BMW, Toyota and 212 Motors also graced the forum.

Anchoring Malaysia: Deep Local Market Penetration via Digital Capabilities to Boost Industrial Growth
Kicking off the forum, Li Wei, Vice President of Tengyi Technology & Director of BitAuto Malaysia, delivered a keynote address outlining BitAuto’s strategic rationale for establishing operations in Malaysia.

Li Wei noted that BitAuto has built a 26-year footprint in China’s automotive internet space, with four core business pillars: Yiche vertical auto media, Tencent Advertising Mobility Division, new media operations and AI technology. Malaysia was selected as the brand’s flagship overseas hub based on four core market observations: steady overall automotive market scale, accelerating electrification, massive untapped EV penetration potential, and sustained policy support for the industry. Malaysia’s automotive sector is currently at an inflection point of structural expansion, calling for robust digital infrastructure to capture emerging market demand.

Li Wei introduced Bitauto.my, BitAuto Malaysia’s one-stop integrated automotive Awareness – Content Nurturing – Conversion ecosystem platform, engineered to form a full-funnel user journey spanning Awareness – Content Nurturing – Conversion. Built around three core value propositions—simplifying car selection, enabling transparent vehicle transactions, and humanising automotive brands—the platform catalogues over 85 marques, 550 vehicle models and more than 1,300 variants. It equips users with high-definition vehicle galleries, 360° VR car viewing and multi-model comparison tools, while aggregating real-time pricing and verified promotional data from authorised dealers to eliminate information asymmetry in the market.

On the content front, BitAuto Malaysia operates a trilingual content matrix covering Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and English. Leveraging Yiche’s professional vehicle review framework and full-scenario content marketing strategies, the platform has built industry-wide influence. It also collaborates with over 30 local creators across automotive, tech, lifestyle and travel verticals to deliver hyper-localised messaging for precise audience targeting. For sales conversion, BitAuto has rolled out a membership programme for dealers and livestream customer acquisition solutions, integrating real-time WhatsApp lead distribution, merchant backend management and performance advertising workflows.

“BitAuto In Malaysia, For Malaysia,” Li Wei emphasised. The brand aims to become Malaysia’s most trusted digital growth partner for the automotive industry, delivering robust tools and authentic content to foster long-term trust between automotive brands and consumers.

Panel Discussion 1: Localised Collaboration to Overcome Industry Challenges
Moderated by Chen Hao, Vice President of Tengyi Technology & Editor-in-Chief of Autoreport, the first panel featured Michael Chew of Chery Malaysia, Edward Wong of SGMW, Oscar Wang of JoyStar Dealer Group and Dato’ Seri Paduka Prof. Dr. Steven Leow of Malaysia Tank Owners Club. The session revolved around the topic “Driven by Consumer Demand: Long-Term xEV Growth with Breakthrough Strategies Rooted in Localization, Charging Infrastructure and Omnichannel Content Marketing”.

Panel participants converged on three core consensus points:

Chinese brands expanding into Malaysia must prioritise local integration over market conquest.
Michael Chew cited Chery’s global brand ethos “In Somewhere, For Somewhere”, stressing that sustainable market presence requires building a complete local ecosystem covering manufacturing, supply chains, and indigenous talent pipelines, rather than merely importing finished vehicles for resale. From a dealer perspective, Oscar Wang explained Malaysia functions as a mature replacement market, where trade-in buyers prioritise differentiated driving experiences. Chinese OEMs must deliver superior specifications and competitive pricing to capture market share.

Fluctuating fuel subsidy policies act as a catalyst for new energy vehicle uptake.
Oscar Wang pointed out repeated revisions to Malaysia’s petrol subsidy scheme have stoked consumer concerns over rising fossil fuel costs, driving surging demand for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). At certain Chery retail outlets, PHEV models account for over 99% of total sales. Michael Chew added that real-world long-distance road tests — such as a 1,400-kilometre Beijing-Wuhan journey completed on a single fuel tank — are critical to shifting consumer perceptions and building confidence in PHEV technology.

Cross-industry collaboration is essential for charging infrastructure development; community-driven word-of-mouth underpins brand trust.
Michael Chew framed charging network expansion as a classic “chicken-and-egg” dilemma requiring joint efforts from automakers, dealers and government authorities. Edward Wong shared that Wuling leverages its partnership with Tan Chong Group to advance localised infrastructure deployment. From a vehicle owner community lens, Dato’ Seri Paduka Dr. Lau Yun Lian highlighted that genuine long-term user testimonials are the most powerful antidote to consumer scepticism surrounding Chinese automotive brands.

Panel Discussion 2: Boundless Content & Symbiotic Community Ecosystems
Hosted by Wang Honghao, Editor-in-Chief of Carstyling, the second panel brought together Yi Ran, Founder of Yiran Moment; Automotive Content Creator Whelan Choy Wen Jun; Carol Foo, Automotive Creator & Founder of CE Auto Media; Song Yilun, Lifestyle Creator & Founder of Enjoy Nanyang; and Chang Fengchen, Chief Editor of BitAuto Malaysia. The discussion theme was “Boundless Content · Symbiotic Communities: How Automotive Content Bridges Consumer Preferences to Brand Loyalty and Forges Deep Brand-User Connections”

The five panellists aligned on a unified core narrative:

Consumer content preferences have shifted from data-driven evaluation to emotional resonance.
Yi Ran noted Chinese audiences prioritise data-heavy, logic-led automotive content, while Southeast Asian users seek emotional connection through media. Carol Foo highlighted younger demographics prioritise creator authenticity over technical specs alone, and Song Yilun added short-video viewers favour lighthearted, relatable storytelling over jargon-laden technical breakdowns.

Authenticity is the shortest pathway to building consumer trust.
Whelan Choy Wen Jun argued short-term test drives fail to cultivate lasting credibility; content creators purchasing vehicles for long-term personal use deliver far more persuasive advocacy. Yi Ran commented that China’s automotive content industry suffers from a widespread authenticity deficit — while production quality, data depth and scientific rigour have improved, genuine user-driven storytelling remains scarce. Carol Foo elaborated that brand trust accumulates through multiple touchpoints, spanning creator recommendations to peer owner experiences.

Short and long-form video serve distinct roles; offline community gatherings remain irreplaceable.
Whelan Choy Wen Jun proposed a clear division of labour: short-form videos spark initial audience interest, while long-form deep dives drive meaningful brand engagement. Carol Foo underscored Malaysia’s vibrant offline car meet culture, noting in-person brand events deliver superior engagement compared to digital advertising alone. Chang Fengchen validated this with platform data, showing prospective car buyers exhibit higher save and follow rates for long-form automotive content.

All panellists agreed that compelling automotive content does not merely persuade audiences—it resonates with them. Consumers are not disposable traffic metrics, but long-term relationships worthy of sustained nurturing.

This forum marked BitAuto Malaysia’s first official large-scale industry debut. Upholding the core philosophy “In Malaysia, For Malaysia”, BitAuto Malaysia will continue to iterate on Bitauto.my’s platform functionality, expand its diversified content ecosystem and strengthen sales conversion capabilities. It aims to deliver a full-stack digital operation solution covering brand exposure, user cultivation and sales conversion for Malaysia’s automotive industry, cementing its position as a reliable long-term digital growth partner for automakers and dealers nationwide.

Hashtag: #BitAutoMalaysia

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.