On March 27, the 2026 SMM (21st) Lead & Zinc Conference and Industry Expo, organized by SMM, wrapped up successfully at Howard Johnson Agile Plaza in Chengdu, Sichuan!

[SMM Tin Midday Commentary: The Most-Traded SHFE Tin Contract Closed Up 3.19%, with Middle East Geopolitical Risks and Low Inventory Supporting Prices]

[SMM Tin Midday Commentary: Technical Recovery Coupled with Expectations of a Temporary Easing in Geopolitical Tensions Drives a Rebound in Tin Prices]

This week, the weekly operating rate of leading downstream aluminum processing enterprises in China rebounded 1.1 percentage points MoM to 64%.

SMM Nickel News, March 26: Macro and Market News: (1) On March 25, COSCO SHIPPING Lines issued a service notice announcing the immediate resumption of new bookings for services from the Far East to the following Middle East countries (dry containers): the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq. The resumption of shipments did not mean that COSCO SHIPPING container vessels could pass through the Strait of Hormuz. (2) In the early hours of March 25, Tehran time, Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on social media that non-hostile vessels could safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with relevant Iranian authorities, provided that the countries to which they belong or with which they are associated neither participate in nor support acts of aggression against Iran, and fully comply with the announced safety and security regulations. Spot Market: On March 26, the SMM price of #1 refined nickel rose by 1,550 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. In terms of spot premiums, the average premium for Jinchuan #1 refined nickel was 5,400 yuan/mt, down 750 yuan/mt from the previous trading day; domestic mainstream electrodeposited nickel was at -400-400 yuan/mt. Futures Market: The most-traded SHFE nickel contract (2605) opened sharply higher in last night's session and then fluctuated downward, closing the morning session today at 135,250 yuan/mt, up 0.50%. Policy expectations that Indonesia may impose a nickel export tax, together with firm ore prices on the raw material side and easing macro sentiment, jointly drove nickel prices to rebound. Nickel prices are expected to hold up well in the short term, with the core trading range of the most-traded SHFE nickel contract at 133,000-143,000 yuan/mt.

Mar 2026 , Hong Kong’s shipping industry reached a pivotal moment in its green transition: Sinopec CNOOC Fuel Supply, a subsidiary of COSCO SHIPPING Group, together with Sinopec Hong Kong and CMG RoRo, successfully completed Hong Kong’s first green methanol bunkering operation , while also setting a national first record for green methanol bunkering at anchorage , marking Hong Kong’s official entry into a new stage of bunkering green alternative marine fuels. The operation was carried out throughout by the “Daqing 268” vessel , independently operated by Sinopec CNOOC Fuel Supply. The vessel was China’s first methanol dual-fuel powered bunkering ship for both oil products and chemicals, featuring advanced technical performance and independently controllable core equipment. Its propulsion system achieved 100% localisation and adopted a dual-fuel drive mode using methanol and conventional fuels. The vessel is 109.9 meters in length, has a deadweight of 7,500 mt, and a total tank capacity of 10,362 m³. It can transport and bunker multiple clean energy products, including methanol, biodiesel, and fuel oil, meeting the needs of multiple batches and multiple bunkering standards. It is also legally qualified to operate on Hong Kong and Macao routes, making it a critical link in green shipping services connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The successful completion of the first bunkering operation through the coordination of multiple central state-owned enterprises fully demonstrated their collaborative strength in the field of green shipping. It not only aligned with the Hong Kong SAR Government’s green shipping plans, but also laid a solid foundation for the future normalised development of green methanol bunkering business between mainland China and Hong Kong and Macao.