Fed Hawkish Signals Exceed Expectations; Precious Metals Under Short-Term Pressure but Downside Limited June 18 — At 2:00 AM Beijing Time on June 18, the Federal Reserve kept the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%, marking the fourth consecutive hold. The statement was significantly shortened in length and removed language hinting at further rate cuts. The dot plot showed nine officials expect a rate hike this year, while newly appointed Chairman Warsh did not submit a dot plot and declined to provide forward guidance. Hawkish signals pushed market pricing for a year-end rate hike up to 38 basis points. From a policy perspective, this FOMC meeting delivered hawkish signals that exceeded market expectations. Combined with the return of rate-hike expectations in the dot plot, it signals that the Fed's communication tone has shifted from "pause and watch" to "potential hiking," putting near-term pressure on precious metals. However, the fourth consecutive hold itself was in line with market expectations, and any actual rate hike still requires more data for validation, so the marginal impact of the policy signal itself is relatively limited. More critically, earlier economic data — U.S. May nonfarm payrolls rose by 172,000, beating expectations, with a combined upward revision of 93,000 for March-April — underscores that labor market resilience remains the most significant headwind suppressing rate-cut expectations and is the core bearish factor for precious metals recently. By contrast, May headline CPI matched expectations while core CPI came in slightly below consensus, meaning inflation data did not reinforce the tightening narrative beyond expectations, and its bearish impact is comparatively moderate. On balance, precious metals face dual pressure from hawkish policy signals and labor market resilience, but the elevated rate-hike expectations are still in the pricing-in phase, and the market may not form a systemic downward resonance at current levels. The trading logic will continue to hinge on subsequent nonfarm payrolls, CPI data, and actual communication from Warsh. US-Iran Peace Talks Advance; Geopolitical Risk Premium Unwinds June 18 — The presidents of the United States and Iran have signed an electronic memorandum of understanding (MoU). The official 14-point text largely matches prior media disclosures, and both sides are set to formally sign the agreement in Switzerland on Friday. Trump stated that if follow-up implementation of the MoU falls short of satisfaction, bombing operations would resume, and also revealed discussions with Syrian leaders on striking Hezbollah. Meanwhile, southern Lebanon witnessed multiple Israeli attacks, and Israel's finance minister indicated no withdrawal on Friday or thereafter. The geopolitical situation remains in a complex tug-of-war characterized by "negotiations alongside conflict." In the near term, the signing of the MoU marks a substantive phase in ceasefire negotiations, with market expectations for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz strengthening, leading to further unwinding of the risk premium. Should the formal agreement be finalized on Friday, structural concerns over crude supply would materially ease, putting downward pressure on the oil price center, which in turn would cool global inflation expectations. From a medium-to-long-term perspective, if sustained oil weakness drives down energy costs, the Fed's monetary policy room would reopen, and market logic could gradually shift from "tightening expectations" toward a "rate-cut cycle," potentially offering new macro support for precious metals. Overall, US-Iran relations are currently in a phase of "peace talks advancing, conflicts unresolved," and market pricing will revolve around Friday's agreement implementation and subsequent execution risks in a repeated back-and-forth manner. Early Hiking Cycle Pressure Does Not Alter Long-Term Logic; Precious Metals' Allocation Value Remains Prominent Historical experience shows that in the early stages of every rate-hiking cycle, precious metals typically come under pressure from rising nominal rates and a stronger dollar, but the trend is not unidirectional downward. As the hiking cycle deepens, growing concerns over recession risks and liquidity stress increasingly highlight gold's role as an inflation hedge and safe-haven asset, with its price center tending to rise in the middle-to-late stages. Therefore, even if the Fed continues on a hawkish path, the pressure on precious metals may not be sustained; liquidity conditions and shifts in macro expectations also influence price dynamics. Of course, our overall bullish long-term logic for precious metals remains unchanged: First, global central banks continue to accumulate gold, with de-dollarization and reserve diversification strategies providing a solid floor for gold prices. Second, the U.S. dollar's credit system faces deep erosion — high interest rates on U.S. Treasuries imply high risk, and over the long run, U.S. debt rollover pressures and fiscal indiscipline are accelerating global de-dollarization. Third, the ever-expanding U.S. government debt stock and deteriorating fiscal sustainability raise the risk of future debt monetization and dollar depreciation. As a non-liability, supra-sovereign hard asset, gold's safe-haven and store-of-value functions hold irreplaceable appeal in the current macro environment. At the same time, geopolitical conflicts continue to simmer without truly subsiding, while global supply chains and energy markets remain volatile, with inflation persistence lingering. These uncertainties will collectively underpin the demand for gold and silver as safe-haven allocation assets, further boosting their strategic value over the medium-to-long term. From the Gold/Silver Ratio Perspective: Silver Under Pressure in the Short Term, but Outperforming Gold in the Medium-to-Long Term Remains Intact Historically, the gold/silver ratio exhibits significant mean-reverting behavior, with its long-term center roughly fluctuating between 60 and 70. However, under extreme macro environments, it can deviate markedly — for instance, the ratio widened sharply after the 2008 financial crisis and approached a historical extreme near 120 during the 2020 pandemic. The underlying dynamic is that during extreme risk-off episodes, the market prioritizes gold as a safe-haven asset, while silver, burdened by its industrial metal characteristics, tends to face systematic selling. Thus, the gold/silver ratio's cyclical movement can be summarized as: widening during crises (silver underperforms) and narrowing during recovery/inflation cycles (silver outperforms). Its essence is a cyclical indicator driven by the alternating dominance of safe-haven attributes versus industrial attributes. In the near term, the gold/silver ratio is more prone to stage-wise upward moves or range-bound drift with an upward bias. On one hand, silver has already posted notable gains, with crowded positioning making it more vulnerable to pullback pressure. On the other hand, the photovoltaic industry — a key pillar of silver industrial demand — is expected to see cell silver consumption decline by 9.51% year-over-year in 2026, and with ongoing silver-reduction progress and evolving cell product structures, annual silver consumption is projected to maintain a roughly 5 percentage-point decline through 2030. Although positive terminal installation expectations may boost cell production volumes, translating to some incremental demand, when converted to silver demand, a roughly 20% decline is anticipated this year. Over the long cycle, 2026 also marks a pivotal turning point in silver's industrial demand structure. The low-voltage electrical equipment sector, as a rigid support segment, exhibits strong irreplaceability in its silver demand. Emerging sectors such as new energy vehicles, PCBs, and SiC chips are rapidly expanding their end-market bases, and despite unchanged unit silver consumption, overall demand continues to grow steadily. Therefore, we maintain our core view that the gold/silver ratio will trend downward in the medium-to-long term — i.e., we are constructive on silver outperforming gold. The driving logic will gradually shift from rates and liquidity toward energy transition and industrial demand. Silver is transforming from a traditional precious metal into a strategically important industrial metal with rising exposure to photovoltaics, AI data centers, and grid upgrades, while supply remains highly inelastic due to its heavy dependence on lead-zinc and copper byproduct production. Once the global economy enters a rate-cutting cycle or real rates decline, silver's industrial elasticity will significantly amplify its upside potential, whereas gold, supported more by central bank buying and safe-haven demand, tends to follow a smoother trajectory.

2026 Year June 3–5 China · National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) No. 333 Songze Avenue, Qingpu District, Shanghai Multi-Energy Complementarity and Integrated Development of PV, Energy Storage, and Hydrogen www.snec.org.cn Approving Authority Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce Supporter Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission Lead Organizers Asia Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA) Chinese Renewable Energy Society (CRES) Renewable Energy Professional Committee of China Association of Circular Economy (CREIA) Shanghai Federation of Economic Organizations (SFEO) Shanghai Science and Technology Exchange Center (SSTEC) Shanghai New Energy Industry Association (SNEIA) Co-Organizers Solar PV Products Sub-Council of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) PV Professional Committee of Chinese Renewable Energy Society (CPVS) Renewable Energy Professional Committee of China Energy Research Society Exhibition Organizers Shanghai Follow Me Technology Co., Ltd. Shanghai Follow Me New Energy Development Co., Ltd. Shanghai Solar Cloud Exhibition Services Co., Ltd. Follow Me Int'l Exhibition USA Inc. Follow me International Exhibition Co., Ltd. Conference Organizer Shanghai Follow Me Convention and Exhibition Services Co., Ltd. Preface: The “SNEC 19th (2026) International Solar PV and Smart Energy (Shanghai) Conference and Exhibition” (the “SNEC PV Conference and (Shanghai) Exhibition” for short), jointly organized by 25 international institutions and organizations including the Asia Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA), the Chinese Renewable Energy Society (CRES), the Renewable Energy Professional Committee of the China Association of Circular Economy (CREIA), the Shanghai Federation of Economic Organizations (SFEO), the Shanghai Science and Technology Exchange Center (SSTEC), and the Shanghai New Energy Industry Association (SNEIA), will be grandly held in Shanghai, China, from June 3 to 5, 2026. The “SNEC PV Conference and (Shanghai) Exhibition” grew from 15,000 m² at its first edition in 2007 to 360,000+ m² in 2025, with more than 3,000 enterprises from 95 countries and regions worldwide participating, of which international exhibitors accounted for 30%, and it has become the most influential international, professional, and large-scale PV event in China, Asia, and the world. The SNEC PV Exhibition is the world's most professional PV exhibition, featuring: PV production equipment, materials, solar cells, PV application products and components, as well as PV engineering and systems, energy storage, mobile energy, etc., covering all segments of the PV industry chain. The SNEC PV Forum is also remarkably diverse, involving analysis of future PV market trends, cooperative development strategies, national policy directions, cutting-edge industry technologies, PV financing, etc., providing the best opportunity to showcase achievements to the industry. We look forward to global industry professionals gathering in Shanghai, China, to take a problem-oriented approach from an industrial perspective, jointly assessing the solar PV power generation markets in China, Asia, and the world, and collectively leading the path of industry innovation and development. We hope to see you in Shanghai in June 2026! Schedule: Setup: May 31, 2026 13:30-18:00 June 1-2 09:00-20:00 Exhibition: June 3-4, 2026 09:00-17:00 June 5 09:00-14:00 Dismantling: June 5, 2026 14:00-22:00 Exhibit Content (Product Categories): Solar PV PV Production Equipment: Silicon rod/silicon lumps/casting ingot production equipment: complete production lines, casting ingot furnaces, crucibles, growth furnaces, other related equipment Silicon wafer production equipment: complete production lines, cutting equipment, cleaning equipment, detection equipment, other related equipment Battery production equipment: complete production lines, etching equipment, cleaning equipment, diffusion furnaces, coating equipment/deposition furnaces, screen printing machines, other furnace equipment, testers and sorters, other related equipment Cell panel/module production equipment: complete production lines, testing equipment, glass cleaning equipment, wiring/welding equipment, laminating equipment, etc. Thin-film cell panel production equipment: amorphous silicon cells, copper indium gallium selenium dioxide cells CIS/CIGS, cadmium telluride thin-film cells CdTe, dye-sensitized cell DSSC production technology and research equipment Solar Cells: Solar cell producers, cell module producers, cell module installers, agents, dealers and distributors, concentrator cells, etc. PV Related Parts: Batteries, chargers, controllers, converters, recorders, inverters, monitors, mounting systems, tracking systems, solar cables, etc. PV Raw Materials: Polysilicon, silicon ingots/silicon lumps, silicon wafers, encapsulation glass, encapsulation films, other raw materials PV Application Products: Lighting products, power supply systems, mobile chargers, water pumps, solar household products and other solar products PV Engineering and Systems: PV system integration, solar air conditioning systems, rural PV power generation systems, solar detection and control systems, solar heating system engineering, solar PV engineering process control and project management and software programming systems System Engineering Construction Equipment and Safety Protection: Electrical construction equipment, construction vehicles, engineering machinery, maintenance tools, aerial work vehicles/platforms, scaffolding, electrical safety tools, personal safety protective equipment Others Solar Energy and Green Buildings: Solar Thermal Utilization: Solar central hot water systems, household solar water heaters, solar heat pump water heaters, solar collector systems, solar heating systems, integrated solar thermal-PV products, solar water heater manufacturing equipment, solar water heater raw materials and accessories Solar PV and Concentrated Solar Power: Grid-connected solar PV power generation systems, off-grid PV power generation systems, PV-wind complementary power generation systems, PV power transmission and distribution equipment, PV modules and components and equipment, trough linear focus systems, tower systems, dish systems, collector tubes, heat storage equipment and corresponding materials, heat exchange technology and products, high-temperature heat transfer technology and products, system control Solar Cooling Systems and Equipment: Solar cooling products and systems, air energy products, solar central air conditioning, ground source heat pump air conditioning Solar Lighting and Building Materials: Solar lawn lights, garden lights, solar street lights and other optoelectronic products, solar PV glass, solar rooftop modules, solar PV building integration overall solutions, etc. LED Technology and Products: LED lighting, LED application products, display products/digital signage, parts, modules, kits, etc. Solar Accessories: Solar complementary automatic control devices and instruments, solar pipes and fittings, solar control systems, solar heat pipes, vacuum tube collectors, flat plate collectors, engineering manifolds, insulation materials, hot and cold water pumps, brackets, PV equipment accessories, batteries and other related production equipment and accessory materials International Energy Storage Technology and Smart Grid Energy Storage Technology, Equipment and Materials: Compressed air energy storage, pumped hydro energy storage, superconducting magnetic energy storage, flywheel energy storage, thermal/cold storage, hydrogen storage and other energy storage technologies applicable to plug-in EVs, equipment and materials; various batteries (nickel–metal hydride batteries, lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, lead-acid batteries, smart batteries, sodium-sulfur batteries), energy storage power supplies, supercapacitors, renewable fuel cells, flow batteries and other technologies, equipment and materials ESS Power Stations and EPC Projects: BMS battery management systems, PCS energy storage inverters, microgrids, EV charging and battery swapping stations and related supporting facilities C. New Energy Power Generation Grid Connection and Smart Power Transmission and Distribution: Grid-tie inverters, light DC equipment, operation monitoring devices, grid connection control systems, flexible transmission equipment, ultra-high voltage transmission equipment, high-temperature superconducting equipment, high-temperature superconducting cables, distribution automation systems and protection devices, smart switchgear, transformers, instrument transformers, smart components, digital substations, substation integrated automation, distribution network automation devices, transmission and distribution online monitoring, fault diagnosis and self-healing devices, power quality monitoring, harmonic control and reactive power compensation, superconducting electrical technology, various new types of wires and cables, composite materials, safety protection D. Power Grid Dispatching and Automation Control: Smart grid dispatching systems, dispatching integrated data platform systems, grid security and control, smart inspection systems, integrated measurement and control protection and arc suppression line selection systems, security and stability control system solutions, power monitoring systems and microcomputer-based relay protection, wide-area dynamic monitoring systems, grid stability online monitoring systems, distribution network intelligent reactive power compensation devices, control software, remote control and telemetry devices, large-screen display systems, power system simulation E. Smart Metering and Power Consumption Management: Smart meters and chips, remote/centralized meter reading systems, power consumption information collection systems, power consumption management information systems, load management terminals, monitoring systems, verification devices, metering cabinets and components, measuring instruments, sensors, semiconductors F. Smart Grid Information and Communication: IoT technology, cloud computing technology, multi-network convergence technology, transmission technology and equipment, access equipment, optical fiber and cables, industrial Ethernet, data communication and network technology and related products, in-plant communication equipment, power line carrier equipment, supporting equipment and instruments, digital microwave communication equipment, testing equipment and instruments, network online monitoring equipment G. Others International NEV and Charging Piles NEVs (Passenger Vehicles / Commercial Vehicles): Electric buses and trucks, electric sedans, electric sightseeing vehicles, electric golf carts, electric cleaning vehicles, hybrid buses and sedans, solar EVs, light EVs, hybrid vehicles (micro hybrid, mild hybrid, medium hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid), pure EVs, fuel cell vehicles, hydrogen and natural gas and other new energy clean fuels, hybrid vehicles and various low-emission environmental protection energy-saving vehicles; Power Drive Systems: Power batteries, battery management systems, fuel cells, hybrid systems, drive motors, electric control systems, engines, detection and repair equipment, related testing, monitoring, protection instruments, related technologies; C. Key NEV Parts: Power capacitors, supercapacitors, flywheels, inverters, electric heat pumps, electric power steering, electric air conditioning, tires, wire connections, electromagnetic technology, related materials; coatings, transmissions, filters, carburetors, exhaust systems; axles, steering, braking, suspension systems; auto body accessories; motors and electrical appliances, electronic components, electrical systems, circuits, wheel hubs, tires, etc.; D. Vehicle Design: Complete vehicle design, system control design, etc. E. Charging Facilities: Charging stations, charging piles; charging station smart network project planning and achievement display, gas station expansion to charging (battery swapping) stations, integrated gas and charging service station display, solar and wind complementary NEV charging station technology products, charging station power distribution equipment, chargers, power monitoring systems, active filter devices, transformers, distribution cabinets, cables, direct charging equipment, management auxiliary equipment, charging/swapping batteries and battery management systems, parking lot charging facilities, smart monitoring, charging station power supply solutions F. Others Participation Fees: Standard Booth (Deluxe, 3m x 3m ): Domestic enterprises: RMB 23,800/booth Foreign-funded enterprises: US$4,900/booth Basic configuration: one consultation desk, two folding chairs, one waste basket, one 220V/500W power supply socket, two spotlights, Chinese-English header board, carpet inside the booth. Indoor Bare Space (minimum 36 m² rental): Domestic enterprises: RMB 2,380/m ² Foreign-funded enterprises: US$490/m ² Exhibitor Notes: 1. Enterprises confirming participation shall complete the exhibition application form, affix the company seal, and fax or mail it to the Organizing Committee; 2. Upon receipt of booth reservation fees, the Organizing Committee will arrange booths according to the principle of "first application, first payment, first arrangement"; 3. Payment details for participation fees: (1) The above participation fees do not include "construction deposit", "construction management fee", "facility rental fee" and other fees; (2) Exhibitors who sign contracts shall remit the deposit to the Organizing Committee's account within ten working days from the date of signing the contract, and fax the remittance receipt to the Organizing Committee for verification; (3) The remaining participation fees shall be remitted to the Organizing Committee's designated account before December 31, 2025; 4. The order of conference booklet advertisements is based on the order of advertisement fee receipt, with the submission deadline being March 31, 2026; 5. The Organizing Committee will send the "Exhibitor Manual" to participating enterprises in April 2026. Inquiries Welcome: Shanghai Fulemi Exhibition Service Co., Ltd. SNEC 19th (2026) International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy (Shanghai) Conference & Exhibition Contact: Manager Wei Room 905, Guangqi City, No. 425 Yishan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai Postal Code: 200235 Room 905-907, Guangqi City Office Building, No. 425 Yishan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai Tel: +86-13817218765 E-mail: weiwei@snec.org.cn Conference Website:

The global silver market is in a phase that is historically rare in this form: persistent supply deficits, potentially transformative demand from battery technology, government accumulation programs, and a growing decoupling of Asian prices from Western benchmarks. Reason enough to take a closer look at the key developments in detail.

South Korea has expanded tax incentives for low-carbon solar manufacturing. Under revised rules effective April 1, PV module production facilities with lifecycle emissions of ≤655 kg CO₂/kW qualify for investment tax credits. According to the Korea Photovoltaic Industry Association (KOPIA), the policy covers the entire solar manufacturing chain, including polysilicon, wafer, cell, and module production equipment. The move extends South Korea’s existing carbon-grading system—used in public solar procurement and Renewable Portfolio Standard auctions—into manufacturing investment incentives. The policy aims to encourage domestic producers to adopt low-carbon processes and advanced technologies amid strong import dominance in the market.

Under the guidance of MIIT, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) has begun drafting the 'General Rules for PV Product Manufacturing Cost Assessment Models.' This standard will cover the entire value chain—polysilicon, wafers, cells, and modules—to establish a unified benchmark for industry-wide cost comparisons. Separately, MIIT is seeking public comment on a mandatory national safety standard for terrestrial PV modules with system voltages up to 1,500 V, ensuring stricter reliability for utility-scale projects.

South African utility Eskom has extended its registration fee waiver for small-scale embedded generation ('SSEG') systems under 50 kW until September 30. The waiver, originally set to expire in March, aims to encourage safe and compliant grid connections without deterring solar adoption. Eskom is also testing a new prepaid option for residential rooftop solar customers. While the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association ('SAPVIA') welcomed the extension for removing the financial barrier to compliance, it urged local municipalities to streamline their own cumbersome approval processes, which continue to delay the national energy transition.