SMM June 27 News: Metals market: Last Friday’s overnight session saw nearly all base metals on the domestic market rise. SHFE zinc gained 2.16%, SHFE copper rose 0.9%, SHFE aluminum edged up 0.81%, and SHFE tin advanced 1.66%. SHFE nickel increased 0.36%. SHFE lead dipped 0.37%. In addition, the most-traded alumina futures contract climbed 0.64%, while the most-traded foundry aluminum contract rose 1.66%. Last Friday’s overnight session saw mostly gains in ferrous metals. Stainless steel added 0.48%, iron ore rose 0.54%, and rebar slipped 0.1%. Hot-rolled coil was flat at 3,312 yuan/mt. In coking coal and coke: the most-traded coking coal futures contract gained 1.13%, and the most-traded coke futures contract rose 1.21%. Last Friday’s overnight session in overseas metals saw broad gains for LME base metals. LME copper edged up. LME aluminum rose 0.39%, while LME lead fell 0.58%. LME zinc gained 1.8%. LME tin advanced 1.69%. LME nickel dipped 0.36%. Last Friday’s overnight session in precious metals : COMEX gold rose 1.37%, but COMEX gold posted a fourth consecutive weekly decline, down 3.37% for the week; COMEX silver gained 1.37%, while COMEX silver fell for a seventh straight week, down 10.79% for the week. Last Friday’s overnight session saw the most-traded SHFE gold contract rise 1.34%, but SHFE gold declined on a weekly basis, down 6.33% for the week; the most-traded SHFE silver contract climbed 2.61%, while SHFE silver declined on a weekly basis, down 15.23% for the week. Macquarie strategists noted that all eyes are currently on the trajectory of inflation and whether central banks, particularly the US Fed, will tighten policy to control prices. The apparent end of the Middle East conflict, combined with a more hawkish Fed stance, has led to a pullback in gold prices. The first meeting under new Fed Chair Walsh struck a “hawkish” tone, with the central bank under his leadership having the capacity to either “drive or suppress” the gold market. The shock from the Middle East situation is expected to drag on global growth in Q3, after which an eventual rebound in global growth and the start of a monetary easing cycle should push gold prices lower, as more investor funds rotate out of precious metals and into other assets. Investors have been taking profits and rotating into equities, which has created room for re-entry into precious metals and could drive a price rebound, but a significant macro event may be needed to reignite investor interest in gold. Spot gold prices are forecast to average $4,641 in 2026, up 35% YoY, but the average price is expected to decline 9.5% to $4,200 in 2027, followed by yearly declines through 2030. The bank lowered its year-end spot gold forecast to $4,300 from $4,400. (Jin10 Data APP) As of 7:46 a.m. on June 27, closing prices from last Friday’s overnight session: Macro front China: [National Bureau of Statistics (NBS): Profits of China’s industrial enterprises above designated size grew 18.8% in January–May, with the electronics sector providing significant support] Data from the NBS showed that total profits of industrial enterprises above designated size nationwide reached 3,143.96 billion yuan in January–May, up 18.8% YoY. From January to May, among industrial enterprises above designated size, state-controlled enterprises realized total profits of 1,048.66 billion yuan, up 19.6% YoY; joint-stock enterprises realized total profits of 2,434.81 billion yuan, up 24.1% YoY; foreign-invested enterprises and those funded by Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan investors realized total profits of 695.72 billion yuan, up 4.2% YoY; and private enterprises realized total profits of 772.65 billion yuan, up 10.7% YoY. Yu Weining, chief statistician of the Industrial Department of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), interpreted the profit data of industrial enterprises for January–May 2026. Yu Weining noted that the electronics sector played a significant supporting role. From January to May, profits of the equipment manufacturing industry above designated size increased by 14.1% YoY, boosting the overall profit growth of industrial enterprises above designated size by 5.2 percentage points. From an industry perspective, the global AI technology revolution has led to explosive demand for high-end computing power chips and memory chips, driving rapid profit growth in the electronics sector. From January to May, profits of the electronics industry surged 103.9% YoY, contributing 43.1% to the profit growth of all industrial enterprises above designated size, making it a crucial underpinning for the relatively rapid profit growth of these enterprises. [Series of 7 National Standards for "Artificial Intelligence — Agent Interconnection" Released] At a press conference held by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), it was announced that the series of national standards "Artificial Intelligence — Agent Interconnection" has been officially released. With the rapid iteration of technologies such as large models, artificial intelligence is accelerating from the stage of perception and understanding into a new phase of generative decision-making and autonomous execution. An agent, as an intelligent system with capabilities in autonomous perception, memory, decision-making, interaction, and execution, represents an important application form of next-generation AI. It is also a key vehicle for AI technology to empower diverse industries and underpin high-quality development of the intelligent economy. The seven national standards in the "Artificial Intelligence — Agent Interconnection" series released this time comprehensively cover core aspects including overall architecture, identity codes, identity management, agent description, agent discovery, agent interaction, and agent tool invocation. They systematically establish a closed-loop standards framework encompassing "identity identification—capability description—supply-demand discovery—collaborative interaction—tool invocation," effectively filling the standard gap in this field. With unified architecture and interaction rules established through these standards, enterprises can reuse standardized components, reduce customized development, and shorten time-to-market. At the same time, they lay an institutional foundation for cross-domain trustworthiness and secure interaction by establishing unified identity authentication and full traceability mechanisms. (CCTV News) The People's Bank of China and the General Administration of Customs have issued a notice to solicit public opinions on the "Administrative Measures for the Import and Export of Gold and Gold Products (Draft for Comments)." (From Wall Street CN APP) [Three Departments: Further Improve Work Related to Collection of Mineral Rights Transfer Proceeds] The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Natural Resources, and State Taxation Administration have issued a notice on further improving the collection of mineral rights transfer proceeds, clarifying that late payment penalties for mineral rights transfer proceeds will no longer be collected starting August 1, 2026. If a mining rights holder fails to pay the mineral rights transfer proceeds in full and on time, a penalty of 0.2% per day will be charged from the date of default, with the total penalty not exceeding the principal amount owed. Penalties for mineral rights transfer proceeds will be recorded under the mineral rights transfer proceeds category and shared between central and local governments according to the same proportion as mineral rights transfer proceeds. Late payment penalties that have already accrued before the implementation of this notice shall continue to be paid in accordance with previous regulations, and penalty charges will not apply. US Dollar: The overnight US dollar index fell 0.1% last Friday, closing at 101.36. On a weekly basis, the dollar index recorded its second consecutive weekly gain, rising 0.6% for the week. US Treasury yields and the dollar edged lower as oil prices declined and the market reassessed the US interest rate outlook. The CME FedWatch Tool shows the probability of one rate hike this year remains high at 42%, while the chance of a second hike has dropped to 28% from 34% a week ago as inflation expectations cool. A Wall Street Journal survey indicates the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, set to be released at 10 a.m. US Eastern Time (10 p.m. Beijing Time), is expected to rise from 44.8 to 49. (Jinshi Data APP) Reuters Poll: 78 of 102 economists surveyed expect the Fed to keep the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75% in 2026, compared with 72 of 102 economists who held this view in the early June survey. Artem Sakhbiev, FX strategist at BCA Research, said in a report that the recent rebound in the US dollar appears somewhat overextended and lacks the support needed to break out of the trading range of the past year. The Fed revised its interest rate projections upward at last week's meeting and explicitly focused on inflation. This led to a significant rise in inflation-adjusted real yields and eased concerns about political pressure for rate cuts, thereby boosting the dollar. However, this move now appears largely exhausted. The Fed is likely to hold rates steady, and the spread between short- and long-term yields could widen. (Jinshi Data APP) According to Nick Timiraos, known as the "Fed mouthpiece," sources say the search for a new president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has reached an impasse. The initial list of candidates failed to yield a final selection, forcing the bank to restart the selection process, which has now lasted seven months. On the surface, this was just a minor procedural hiccup. But at the same time, the independence of the US Fed is facing a severe test. Reserve Bank presidents are crucial to the Fed's independence: they participate in setting interest rates, and their appointment process is deliberately designed to avoid influence from Washington politics. (Jin10 Data App) Fed official Kashkari stated that signs of widespread inflation led him to expect one rate hike this year in the Fed economic forecasts released earlier this month. Rates are expected to remain unchanged in 2027. In a media interview on Friday, Kashkari said: "I am concerned about inflation, not just related to the Middle East situation, but signs of broader inflationary pressures in the economy." The Iran war pushed up oil prices, and prices rose across many categories. This has intensified concerns among some Fed officials that inflation is becoming more broad-based and persistent, potentially requiring stronger action from the central bank. A report released earlier this week showed the May PCE annual rate came in at 4.1%, the largest increase since April 2023. Prices have exceeded the Fed's 2% target for over five years. In the dot plot forecasts released by the Fed last week, half of the officials who submitted dot plot projections expected at least one rate hike this year. (Jin10 Data App) The US goods trade deficit widened to its highest level in over a year in May, as exports fell and imports rose. Data released by the Commerce Department on Friday showed the goods trade deficit expanded 27.4% from the previous month to $105.8 billion, compared to an expected deficit of $85 billion. US goods exports fell 5.4% in May, dragged down mainly by declines in multiple categories, including shipments of industrial supplies. This category covers crude oil and petroleum products. Over the same period, imports rose 3.6%. (From Wall Street CN APP) In other currency news: As London experiences record-breaking heat, Bank of England officials are starting to worry that weather could become the next shock driving up inflation, just as the previous supply shock is fading. Climate scientists increasingly expect a strong El Niño event to form later this year into 2027, disrupting global weather patterns. Now, economists are also concerned this could trigger a new round of supply shocks, push up food inflation, and once again frustrate global central banks' efforts to fight inflation. (From Wall Street CN APP) On the macro front: This week will see the release of data including the Eurozone June industrial sentiment index, Eurozone June economic sentiment index, US June Dallas Fed business activity index, Japan May unemployment rate, China June official manufacturing PMI, UK Q1 GDP annual rate final, UK Q1 current account, France June CPI monthly rate preliminary, Switzerland June KOF economic leading indicator, Germany June seasonally adjusted unemployment change, Germany June seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, Germany June CPI monthly rate preliminary, Canada April GDP monthly rate, US April FHFA house price index monthly rate, US April S&P/CS 20-City non-seasonally adjusted house price index annual rate, US June Chicago PMI, US May JOLTS job openings, US June Conference Board consumer confidence index, China June RatingDog manufacturing PMI, France June manufacturing PMI final, Germany June manufacturing PMI final, Eurozone June manufacturing PMI final, UK June manufacturing PMI final, Eurozone June CPI annual rate preliminary, Eurozone June CPI monthly rate preliminary, US June Challenger job cuts, US June ADP employment change, US June S&P Global manufacturing PMI final, US June ISM manufacturing PMI, US May construction spending monthly rate, Switzerland June CPI monthly rate, Eurozone May unemployment rate, US June unemployment rate, US June seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls, US initial jobless claims for the week ending June 27, US June average hourly earnings annual rate, US June average hourly earnings monthly rate, US May factory orders monthly rate, China June RatingDog services PMI, France May industrial output monthly rate, France June services PMI final, Germany June services PMI final, Eurozone June services PMI final, UK June services PMI final, and other data. Additionally, this week, attention should be paid to: 2027 FOMC voter and Richmond Fed President Barkin delivering a speech; the ECB holding its Central Bank Forum in Sintra through July 1; the 2026 Beijing Space Computing Conference taking place from June 29 to 30; ECB President Lagarde speaking in Sintra; the Reserve Bank of Australia releasing the minutes of its June monetary policy meeting; the ECB holding its Central Bank Forum in Sintra; the US and Iran holding technical negotiations (to be confirmed); Fed Chairman Walsh, ECB President Lagarde, Bank of England Governor Bailey, and Bank of Canada Governor Macklem speaking at the ECB Forum; the ECB holding its Central Bank Forum in Sintra; ECB President Lagarde delivering a speech; Bank of England Governor Bailey speaking on the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy; and a new round of domestic refined oil product price adjustments opening in China. It is worth noting that on July 1, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Market was closed for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day, with both Northbound and Southbound trading shut. On July 3, the US-NYSE was closed for the US Independence Day holiday; trading in CME precious metals, energy, foreign exchange, US Treasury, and equity index futures contracts ended early at 01:00 Beijing time on the 4th due to the US Independence Day holiday; trading in ICE Brent crude oil futures contracts ended early at 01:30 Beijing time on the 4th due to the US Independence Day holiday. In crude oil: Both oil futures fell in overnight trading last Friday, with US oil dropping 2.34% and Brent oil dropping 2.52%. On a weekly basis, US oil futures recorded a three-week losing streak, falling 7.4% for the week; Brent oil futures also fell for a third straight week, dropping 8.06% for the week. Brent spot crude oil prices fell back to pre-war levels, and the near-month contracts exhibited a contango structure—where near-term prices are lower than those further out—for seven consecutive days, reflecting a temporary oversupply. Tariq Zahir, a managing member at Tyche Capital Advisors, indicated that oil prices had "dropped too fast, too furiously," the ceasefire agreement remained fragile, and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz was still fraught with variables, so fluctuations were expected to persist. Rich Privorotsky, head of Goldman Sachs' One-Delta business, pointed out that Iran had begun a show of force near the Strait of Hormuz, some cargo ships had altered their routes, and the inventory overhang in the Gulf region was gradually flowing into the market. He believed that while the probability of a significant near-term price rise in crude oil was limited, the basis for a further substantial drop from current prices was equally insufficient. (From Wallstreetcn APP) US natural gas drilling rig additions recorded the largest single-week increase in four years. Data from Baker Hughes showed that the number of active oil drilling rigs operated by US energy enterprises reached 440 last week, marking a two-week consecutive increase, up from 433 the previous week. Active natural gas drilling rigs rose to 573, recording the largest gain since June 2022, compared with the prior figure of 563. (From Wall Street Cn APP) A report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicated that US refining capacity decreased by 263,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2025, a decline of 1.43%. This was primarily driven by the planned conversion of a major refinery in Houston and the closure of a refinery in the Los Angeles area due to market dynamics, which is known for strict environmental regulations. Marathon Petroleum, headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, maintained its position as the largest US refiner with a total refining capacity of 2.986 million bpd, accounting for 16.4% of the nation’s total capacity. (From Wall Street Cn APP) Furthermore, Iraq’s Ministry of Oil stated that OPEC has begun to gradually restore Iraq’s pre-war production quota, a move which will strengthen Iraq’s output capabilities and support the recovery of the oil sector. A high-level consensus has been reached within OPEC, fully taking into account Iraq’s past special circumstances and current actual needs. (From Wall Street Cn APP) Barclays said it has lowered its Brent crude oil price forecasts, cutting the 2026 estimate from $100 per barrel to $96, and the 2027 estimate from $88 to $85, citing the recovery of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have rebounded substantially, reaching about 80% of pre-war levels. However, this normalization process remains incomplete. The bank noted that Iran’s assertion of control through fee impositions and coordination mechanisms has created frictions and may potentially delay a full recovery. A temporary deal reached last week aimed at ending the US-Israeli war against Iran has allowed traffic on the Strait of Hormuz shipping route to resume. (From Wall Street Cn APP) Recommended Reading:

SMM Weekly Stainless Steel Futures Review — week of June 22–26, 2026. Lingering Fed hawkishness and softening off-season fundamentals dragged the SHFE main contract down RMB 390/mt ($57/mt) this week, but firm producer pricing and a modest supply pullback kept the spot market relatively resilient.

SMM Nickel, June 25: Macro and Market News: (1) The People’s Bank of China announced that, to maintain ample liquidity in the banking system, on June 25, 2026, it will conduct a 500 billion yuan MLF operation via a fixed-quantity, interest-rate tender, and multiple-price bidding method, with a tenor of one year. (2) On June 24, to implement the “Regulations of the State Council on the Security of Industrial and Supply Chains,” conduct investigations on the security of industrial and supply chains, and safeguard the security of China’s industrial and supply chains, the Ministry of Commerce formulated the “Measures for Investigation on the Security of Industrial and Supply Chains,” which is now promulgated and shall take effect on the date of promulgation. Spot Market: On June 25, the SMM #1 refined nickel price dropped by 2,350 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. In terms of spot premiums, the average premium for Jinchuan #1 refined nickel was 1,600 yuan/mt, up 100 yuan/mt from the previous trading day, while the range for mainstream domestic brand electrodeposited nickel was -400 to 400 yuan/mt. Futures Market: The most-traded SHFE nickel contract (2607) plunged in the night session, losing the 130,000 yuan mark and hitting a recent low, closing at 129,970 yuan/mt in the morning session, down 0.92%. The US Fed’s hawkish signals fueled rate hike expectations, pushing the US dollar index above the 101 mark to a 13-month high. Market rumors that Indonesia may raise the total mining quota (RKAB) for 2026 in mid-year significantly dampened market sentiment. In the short term, nickel prices are expected to remain in the doldrums.

SMM June 25: In the metals market: Base metals on the domestic market all fell overnight. SHFE tin dropped 2.64%, SHFE copper fell 2.3%, SHFE zinc lost 1.33%, SHFE aluminum declined 2.13%, and SHFE nickel slid 1.72%. SHFE lead edged down 0.95%. In addition, the most-traded alumina futures contract fell 0.84%, and the aluminum casting main contract lost 1.69%. Ferrous metals showed mixed performance overnight. Iron ore rose 0.47%, rebar and HRC edged lower, and stainless steel fell 0.85%. In coking coal and coke: the most-traded coking coal contract gained 0.4%, and the most-traded coke contract rose 1%. On the overseas market, LME base metals all fell overnight. LME copper dropped 2.59%. LME aluminum tumbled 4.43%, hitting a more than three-month low of $3,110/mt during the session. LME lead fell 1.59%. LME zinc lost 2.67%. LME tin declined 3.05%. LME nickel dropped 2.52%. In precious metals overnight: COMEX gold fell 3.21%, touching a session low of $3,975.7/oz; COMEX silver plunged 7.39%, hitting a session low of $55.75/oz. SHFE gold lost 2.45%, and SHFE silver tumbled 6.31%. As of 7:12 on June 25, overnight closing prices: Macro front China: [Ministry of Commerce: Announcement on Further Improving the Handling of Reports Regarding Violations of Export Controls on Strategic Mineral Dual-Use Items] Announcement No. 26 of 2026 of the Ministry of Commerce. To fully leverage social oversight and combat violations of export controls on strategic mineral dual-use items, all organizations and individuals have the right to report suspected violations of relevant laws and regulations in exporting strategic mineral dual-use items, including: exporting strategic mineral dual-use items without authorization; exporting such items beyond the scope, conditions, or validity period specified in the export license; exporting prohibited strategic mineral dual-use items; circumventing licensing requirements by modifying or disassembling items into components or parts to export strategic mineral-related dual-use items; and evading export control regulations on strategic mineral dual-use items by routing through a third country (region), among others. [Ministry of Commerce Releases "Measures for the Security Investigation of Industry Chain and Supply Chain"] To implement the "Provisions of the State Council on the Security of Industry Chain and Supply Chain" (State Council Order No. 834), conduct security investigations on industry chain and supply chain effectively, and safeguard the security of China's industry chain and supply chain, the Ministry of Commerce formulated the "Measures for the Security Investigation of Industry Chain and Supply Chain," which is hereby released and takes effect from the date of publication. [Ministry of Commerce and seven other departments: Strictly crack down on illegal recycling and dismantling of end-of-life motor vehicles, and regulate the business practices of end-of-life motor vehicle recycling enterprises] The Ministry of Commerce, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Transport, State Administration for Market Regulation, and other departments formulated the "Special Rectification Action Plan for Illegal Recycling and Dismantling of End-of-Life Motor Vehicles." It is hereby issued. This special rectification action focuses on addressing prominent issues in the end-of-life motor vehicle recycling industry. All regions and relevant departments should adhere to a problem-oriented approach, improve the coordinated supervision mechanism, strictly crack down on illegal recycling and dismantling of end-of-life motor vehicles, and regulate the business practices of end-of-life motor vehicle recycling enterprises. Through this special rectification action, the standardized operation level of end-of-life motor vehicle recycling enterprises will be continuously enhanced, the proportion of end-of-life motor vehicle recycling volume to vehicle deregistration volume will be steadily expanded, illegal recycling and dismantling of end-of-life motor vehicles will be effectively curbed, the level of parts recycling and reuse from end-of-life motor vehicles will be continuously improved, and the high-quality development of the end-of-life motor vehicle recycling and dismantling industry will be promoted. Additionally, local authorities are guided to concurrently address the recycling standards for PV modules and wind turbine blades. [Central Bank: To conduct 500 billion yuan MLF operation on June 25] According to the central bank, on June 25, 2026, the People's Bank of China will conduct a 500 billion yuan MLF operation through a fixed-quantity, rate-based tender, and multiple-price winning bids, with a term of one year. [CAICT: Domestic mobile phone shipments reached 27.639 million units in May; 5G phone shipments up 23.8% YoY] Data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) shows that in May 2026, domestic mobile phone shipments reached 27.639 million units, up 16.5% YoY. Among them, 5G phone shipments were 26.224 million units, up 23.8% YoY, accounting for 94.9% of total mobile phone shipments during the same period. As for the US dollar: The US dollar index extended gains from the previous two trading days, rising another 0.2% overnight to close at 101.57. The PCE price index release on Thursday will be the next key period. Forecasters anticipate that the May data will show acceleration on both MoM and YoY basis, providing new reference for the Fed’s policy direction. Goldman Sachs' chief economist Jan Hatzius reiterated that his baseline forecast remains no rate hike, citing that if a lasting peace is achieved in the Middle East, the inflation environment will be milder than the Fed currently expects. (Wall Street Journal) US Treasury Secretary Bessent praised Fed Chairman Warsh for eliminating forward guidance, and he also believed that no one should make dot plot forecasts. On the economic front, he expected real wage growth to return to its pre-April pace, and he anticipated economic growth to accelerate through the remainder of the year without driving up inflation. He stressed that US dollar dominance was crucial. He believed that after the situation in Ukraine ended, Russia would want to return to the dollar system, and the new Venezuela was moving back into that system. During the period when interest rates were being lowered, the dollar could remain strong, and the US would be happy to take the right measures to keep the dollar strong. On the issue of Iran, Bessent stated that the US Treasury would oversee the distribution of funds to Iran, which would initially be disbursed through Qatar, and a significant portion of those funds would be used to purchase US food and medicine supervised by the Treasury, and any funds received by Iran should belong to Iranians. (Gold Ten Data) According to CME "Fed Watch": The probability of the US Fed keeping interest rates unchanged in July was 65.8%, and the probability of cumulative rate hikes of 25 basis points was 34.2%. The probability of the US Fed keeping interest rates unchanged through September was 33.6%, the probability of cumulative rate hikes of 25 basis points was 49.7%, and the probability of cumulative rate hikes of 50 basis points was 16.7%. Macro front: Data to be released today include Australia's May seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, Germany's July GfK Consumer Confidence Index, US initial jobless claims for the week ending June 20, US May core PCE price index year-over-year, US May personal spending month-over-month, US Q1 real GDP annualized quarter-over-quarter final, US Q1 real personal consumption expenditures quarter-over-quarter final, US Q1 core PCE price index annualized quarter-over-quarter final, US May core PCE price index month-over-month, and US May durable goods orders month-over-month. Furthermore, attention should be paid to: Nvidia's annual general meeting of shareholders; the Bank of Canada's release of monetary policy meeting minutes; the US Fed's release of annual bank stress test results; Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda's attendance at a central bank lecture event held by the International Monetary Fund (IMF); Micron Technology's fiscal year 2026 Q3 earnings call; 300 billion yuan in 1-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) and 248 billion yuan in 7-day reverse repos maturing today. Crude oil side: Overnight, both oil futures dropped sharply, with WTI falling 4.56% to an intraday low of $69.93/bbl and Brent falling 4.45% to an intraday low of $73.32/bbl. Brent crude has largely erased all the geopolitical risk premium accumulated since the outbreak of the Iran war. News-wise, Trump stated in a social media post on the 24th that Iran had informed the US it would not impose any tolls, insurance premiums, or other charges on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, but he also threatened that negotiations would immediately cease if this information proved false. According to estimates by the International Energy Agency, the UAE's oil exports have recovered to nearly 85% of pre-war levels, reflecting a substantial increase in the volume of oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks. The UAE alone sold about 60 million barrels of crude oil from the Persian Gulf in recent weeks. Data shows that vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has hit a new high since the signing of the memorandum of understanding and continues to rise. (Wall Street See)

SMM June 22 news: Metals market: As of the midday close, base metals on the domestic market mostly fell, with only SHFE aluminum rising, up 0.4%. SHFE tin led the decline with a drop of 1.31%, SHFE nickel fell 0.84%, SHFE lead and SHFE zinc both fell 0.7%, and SHFE copper edged down 0.34%. The most-traded alumina contract fell 0.52%, while the most-traded casting aluminum contract rose 0.47%. In addition, the most-traded lithium carbonate contract fell 6.08%, the most-traded polysilicon contract fell 0.25%, and the most-traded silicon metal contract fell 0.58%. The most-traded European route container shipping index futures rose 0.11%. In the ferrous metals segment, all except stainless steel rose. Stainless steel rose 0.36%, while hot-rolled coil and iron ore both fell around 0.6%. In the coking coal and coke segment, coking coal fell 2.24% and coke fell 1.78%. On the overseas market front, as of 11:38, base metals on the LME all rose, with LME nickel leading the gains at 1.23%, LME tin up 0.88%, LME copper up 0.53%, and the other metals showing relatively small fluctuations. In precious metals, as of 11:38, COMEX gold fell 1.15%, COMEX silver fell 0.73%. Domestically, SHFE gold fell 3.25% and SHFE silver fell 5.65%. In addition, the most-traded platinum contract fell 4.77% and the most-traded palladium contract fell 3.51%. As of 11:38 on June 22, selected futures midday quotes: Spot and fundamentals Zinc: Today, mainstream transaction prices for #0 zinc were concentrated in the range of 24,495-24,790 yuan/mt, Shuangyan brand mainstream transaction prices were at 24,595-24,890 yuan/mt, and #1 zinc mainstream transaction prices were at 24,425-24,720 yuan/mt. In the morning session, quotations against the SMM average price were at premiums of 10-30 yuan/mt, while no quotes were offered against the futures market. In the second trading session, quotations for ordinary domestic brands against the 2607 contract were at discounts of 40-20 yuan/mt..... Macro front Domestic aspect: [Unchanged for the 13th consecutive month! China's latest LPR quotes released: 3.5% for the over-five-year term and 3% for the one-year term.] China’s June Loan Prime Rate (LPR) was released on June 22, with both the one-year and over-five-year LPRs unchanged. The People's Bank of China authorized the National Interbank Funding Center to announce that the LPRs on June 22, 2026 were: the one-year LPR at 3.0%, and the over-five-year LPR at 3.5%. These LPRs will remain valid until the next LPR release. [During the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, cross-regional person trips nationwide are expected to exceed 650 million.] According to the Ministry of Transport, during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday (June 19-21, 2026), the total cross-regional person trips nationwide were expected to be 652.78 million, with a daily average of 217.593 million, flat YoY. (（CCTV News） On the dollar front: As of 11:38 AM, the US dollar index rose 0.11% to 100.88, with markets continuing to monitor developments following the US-Iran talks. US federal funds rate futures extended their decline, indicating a 76% probability of a Fed rate hike in September. On June 19, Citadel Securities released a research note stating that under new Fed Chair Warsh, the Fed has shifted from inertial decision-making to proactive, adaptive policymaking. Citadel Securities warned that the market should not interpret this signal with inertial thinking. Its core assessment: the next move is a rate hike, and that hike is likely imminent. At the same time, the note stressed that the Fed will no longer continue its previous market-coddling approach of "pre-communicating policy paths". This shift holds significant implications for the interest rate market, the US dollar, and the stock market. Citadel Securities set its baseline scenario as three 25-basis-point rate hikes over the next two years, in September 2026, December 2026, and March 2027, and views the July meeting as a "live meeting", meaning action could be taken at any time. The Fed projects that core PCE inflation will average about 90 basis points above the 2% target over 2026-2027. Based on the inflation gap and classic monetary policy rules, Citadel Securities calculates that the policy rate should exceed the neutral rate by 1.5 times the inflation gap, implying an additional 135 basis points of tightening. Assuming a neutral rate of 3%, the target policy rate should fall in the 4.25%–4.50% range, corresponding to exactly three rate hikes. (Wall Street Insights) According to the CME FedWatch Tool: The probability that the Fed holds rates steady in July is 61.5%, and the probability of a cumulative 25-basis-point hike is 38.5%. For September, the probability of rates remaining unchanged is 24.9%, the probability of a cumulative 25-basis-point hike is 52.2%, and the probability of a cumulative 50-basis-point hike is 22.9%. (Jin10 Data) On the data front: Today will see the release of Canada's May CPI month-over-month rate, the Eurozone's preliminary June consumer confidence index, and other data. Furthermore, the State Council Information Office will hold a press conference on policies and measures to stabilize, improve, and optimize the utilization of foreign investment. ECB President Lagarde speaks at the European Parliament, and Fed Governor Waller delivers welcome remarks at a conference on the international role of the US dollar. Crude Oil: As of 11:38, both oil benchmarks fell together, with US crude down 0.11% and Brent crude down 1.24%. Crude oil prices experienced sharp rises and falls today. Earlier, Trump issued threats again during the negotiations, driving oil prices sharply higher. Subsequently, progress in the US-Iran peace negotiations dragged oil prices down. Qatar and Pakistan issued a joint statement on social media platform X, saying that the first round of high-level US-Iran talks concluded in Burgenstock, Switzerland. The parties agreed to establish a high-level committee. Chief negotiators will report regularly to the high-level committee and lead working groups responsible for nuclear issues, sanctions, and monitoring and dispute resolution. The high-level committee agreed on a roadmap aiming to reach a final agreement within 60 days. To avoid accidents and miscommunication and ensure the safe passage of merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz, communication channels have been established. It was also agreed to set up a de-escalation group to ensure the implementation of the commitment to cease military operations within Lebanese territory. For the rest of the week, technical talks will continue in Burgenstock, discussing all related issues. (From Wallstreetcn APP) Ali Nizar, head of Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO): Currently, two vessels are loading crude oil at the country’s southern terminal, but more vessels need to enter the Strait of Hormuz for production to continue rising. (Iraq 24 TV) (From Wallstreetcn APP) Iran is shipping large volumes of oil that were previously unable to be exported due to US sanctions, potentially giving it a boost after signing a temporary peace deal with Washington last Wednesday. Shipping data showed that a total of 11 tankers were spotted leaving Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman last week, carrying a combined 20 million barrels of crude oil. (Bloomberg) Spot Market Overview: ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

SMM Nickel, June 22: Macro and Market News: (1) Last Sunday’s US-Iran-Switzerland talks lasted only 1.5 hours before being suspended — Trump threatened “heavier strikes” during the negotiations, the Iranian delegation walked out in protest, Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the US has threatened to “take over the waterway,” and geopolitical risks in the Middle East have surged. (2) On June 18, Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People’s Bank of China, met with Purba Yudi Sadwa, Minister of Finance of Indonesia. Spot Market: On June 22, SMM #1 refined nickel prices fell by 2,350 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. In terms of spot premiums, the average premium for Jinchuan #1 refined nickel was 1,400 yuan/mt, flat from the previous trading day, and mainstream domestic brand electrodeposited nickel premiums ranged from -600 to 400 yuan/mt. Futures Market: The most-traded SHFE nickel contract (2607) opened sharply lower in the morning session and then rebounded strongly, closing the morning session at 135,110 yuan/mt, down 0.84%. The sudden cancellation of US-Iran peace talks has heightened geopolitical uncertainty. LME nickel remained weak during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, and SHFE nickel opened with a sharp plunge. In the short term, nickel prices are expected to trade in the doldrums in the range of 133,000-140,000 yuan/mt.