[SMM Aluminum Alloy Daily Review] The SMM ADC12 average price was reported at 24,100 yuan/mt today, down 100 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. During the day, both aluminum futures and aluminum prices weakened, dragging on the ADC12 price to some extent. However, structural issues such as tight tax invoices and difficulties in purchasing compliant aluminum scrap have not eased, keeping enterprises' production costs under continuous pressure and providing some support to spot ADC12 prices. Overall, the current ADC12 market presents a pattern of "strong cost support, weak demand follow-up". In the short term, the downside room for prices is limited, but there is also a lack of sufficient driving force for an upward breakout. Prices are expected to move sideways.

[SMM Nickel Flash] On June 16, futures stopped falling in the previous trading session, driving an improvement in market sentiment. NPI market transactions saw a surge in volume, with actual orders placed for various grades of material. The overall trading atmosphere noticeably improved compared to the earlier period, with divergent transaction prices but a concurrent increase in liquidity across different grades. Steady futures supported the restoration of market sentiment, and coupled with the support of bulk spot transactions, the short-term NPI market maintained a pattern of tiered pricing, recovering transactions, and a rebounding price center.

SMM, June 16: The SHFE aluminum price center in the morning session was far below the same period yesterday. However, affected by the sharp decline in aluminum prices, buyer purchasing sentiment surged, driving seller quotes and transaction prices to strengthen continuously. Some sellers, influenced by the aluminum prices, held back from selling and raised their quotes. The mainstream spot transaction prices were at a discount of 80 to a discount of 90 yuan/mt against the SHFE aluminum July contract. Today, the shipment sentiment index in East China was 2.83, down 0.13 MoM; the purchasing sentiment index was 3.06, up 0.30 MoM. SHFE aluminum futures prices plunged in the night session of the previous day and the morning session today. In the central China market, the buying sentiment of downstream processing enterprises recovered, and their willingness to stockpile increased. Trading firms engaging in both spot and futures markets tended to quickly earn price spreads, and the sentiment of holding prices firm and holding back from selling was strong, keeping market quotes high. Ultimately, the actual transaction price range in the central China market was at a discount of 120-140 yuan/mt against the SHFE aluminum July contract. Today, the shipment sentiment index in the central China market was 2.91, down 0.01 MoM; the purchasing sentiment index was 2.22, up 0.02 MoM. On the inventory front, the aluminum ingot inventory in major consumption areas fell 0.25 MoM today, with destocking mainly driven by Guangdong and Wuxi.

Time flies as the midpoint of 2026 approaches. The zinc concentrate market has witnessed another extraordinary price cycle this year. As of June 12, domestic zinc concentrate treatment charges (TCs) plunged to -50 yuan per metric ton of zinc metal, marking the arrival of negative TCs. Meanwhile, TCs for imported zinc concentrate tumbled to -71.2 US dollars per dry metric ton, both hitting all-time record lows.

Central Asia Metals (CAML) announced that, thanks to improved operational efficiencies, its copper and zinc production for the first five months of 2026 both surpassed the same period last year. Copper output from the Kounrad operation in Kazakhstan totalled 5,141 tonnes, a near 4% increase over the last year. Meanwhile, the Sasa mine in North Macedonia produced 7,566 tonnes of zinc in concentrate, up over 2% compared to last year. In terms of pricing, the company reported significantly higher realized metal prices during the period. The average price of copper reached $13,076 per tonnes, representing a massive jump of nearly 40% over the last year, while average zinc prices rose 19% to $3,299 per tonne. In addition, historically low treatment charges for lead, which have turned negative, further boosted Sasa’s revenues. CEO Gavin Ferrar noted that the group is shaping up to deliver strong profitability and cash generation in the first half of 2026. Currently, the company is actively pushing forward with its acquisition of Australia's Cygnus Metals, announced last week, to expand its footprint into a high-grade copper-gold project in Quebec, Canada. The company remains highly confident in meeting its full-year production guidance (12,000–13,000 tonnes of copper, 18,000–20,000 tonnes of zinc concentrates, and 26,000–28,000 tonnes of lead concentrates).

[SMM Daily Review: Multi-Grade Batch Deals Conclude, Nickel Iron Prices Strengthen in Tiers] June 15 news: SMM high-grade NPI upstream sentiment factor was 2.75, up 0.01 MoM, while the high-grade NPI downstream sentiment factor was 1.87, up 0.03 MoM.