[SMM Daily Chrome Commentary: Production Cuts and Maintenance Tightened Supply, While Elevated Costs May Have Led to Losses] March 19, 2026: Chrome ore prices continued to rise, while ferrochrome quotations remained unchanged...

[SMM Magnesium Express] Russia's Solikamsk Magnesium Plant has commenced industrial production of magnesium alloys containing rare earth metals including neodymium, cerium and lanthanum. The lightweight, high-strength alloys target aerospace, automotive, energy and oil & gas applications, reducing structural weight and improving equipment efficiency. Operating since 1936, the plant now produces 75% of Russia's magnesium.

Zangge Mining has released its 2026 operational targets, highlighting significant expansions in lithium carbonate production. The company is advancing a 6,000-ton/year expansion at the Chaerhan Salt Lake, which will bring its total capacity there to 16,000 tons/year. Meanwhile, the highly anticipated Mamicuo Salt Lake project (Phase I: 50,000 tons/year) is scheduled to commence production in Q3 2026. Additionally, the Mamicuo Mining entity, in which Zangge holds a 26.95% indirect stake, plans to produce 20,000 to 25,000 tons of lithium carbonate in 2026, bolstering the company's equity resource portfolio.

Rusal's financial report showed that, affected by its capacity optimization plan, full-year 2025 primary aluminum production fell 1.9% YoY to 3.918 million mt (2024: 3.992 million mt). Alumina production, meanwhile, rose 6.7% YoY to 6.858 million mt. In addition, benefiting from the Guinea expansion project and increased equity interests in refineries in China and India, bauxite production increased 16.2% YoY to 18.453 million mt.

SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Overnight, LME copper opened at $12,714.5/mt and climbed to $12,715/mt at the start of the session. Copper prices then saw the center move straight downward, before fluctuating rangebound and eventually closing at $12,340/mt, down 3.44%. Trading volume reached 33,600 lots, and open interest stood at 288,300 lots, down 4,872 lots from the previous trading day, mainly due to long position liquidation. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE copper 2605 contract opened at and touched a high of 98,000 yuan/mt, after which the center of copper prices moved straight downward to a low of 95,920 yuan/mt, then fluctuated upward and finally closed at 96,340 yuan/mt, down 2.58%. Trading volume reached 103,000 lots, and open interest stood at 198,000 lots, up 9,911 lots from the previous trading day, mainly due to increased short positions.

On the evening of March 18, 2026, at Chery Automobile Battery Night 2026 in Wuhu, Anhui, Chery unveiled its Rhino all-solid-state battery technology. It had completed the development and pilot production of a 60Ah, 400Wh/kg all-solid-state battery cell and was advancing toward an ultra-high energy density of 600Wh/kg.