【SMM Copper Pipe & Tube Operating Rate】 According to SMM data, the operating rate of copper pipe & tube enterprises was 82.45% in March, up 23.71 percentage points MoM and down 2.78 percentage points YoY.

[SMM Titanium Spot Brief: Rutile Titanium Dioxide Prices Rose, Cost Support Remained Strong] China's titanium dioxide market prices were basically flat today, with rutile grades raised by 100 yuan/mt. Multiple enterprises closed their order books and held back from selling, and bullish sentiment was strong in the market. Sulphuric acid prices continued to rise, providing strong cost support on the cost side, and the market showed a divergent trend.

[SMM Hot-Rolled Coil Daily Trading] On April 8, the combined daily trading volume of hot-rolled coil from SMM's sample enterprises across four cities (Shanghai, Lecong, Tianjin, and Ningbo) totaled 14,700 mt, up 120 mt DoD (+0.8%), down 2.58% YoY (solar calendar), and up 16.57% YoY (lunar calendar).

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Ferrochrome Market Temporarily Stable, Chrome Ore Prices Unchanged] April 8, 2026: The ferrochrome and chrome ore markets saw limited fluctuations...

[US Energy Information Administration: Surge in AI Use Drives US Electricity Demand to New Highs This Year and Next] The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that US electricity consumption will hit a new high in 2025, with further increases in 2026 and 2027. The EIA expects US electricity demand to rise from a record 4,195 billion kWh in 2025 to 4,244 billion kWh in 2026 and 4,381 billion kWh in 2027. This is primarily driven by the increase in AI data centers, as well as greater use of electricity by households and enterprises, reducing the use of fossil fuels for heating and transportation.

[SMM Coking Coal and Coke Daily Brief] In terms of supply, coking costs declined slightly recently, coke producers' profitability recovered somewhat, production remained relatively stable, and coke producers' shipments were smooth, with coke inventory showing a downward trend. On the demand side, finished steel market sales improved, steel mill profits increased, and coupled with the steady rise in daily average hot metal production at steel mills, rigid demand for coke strengthened. In summary, the fundamental landscape remained in a tight balance, and the coke market may hold up well and be generally stable with slight rise in the short term.