The gold price is currently causing nervousness once again. Since the start of the war involving the USA and Israel against Iran, the precious metal has recorded a daily loss of 4% for the second time.
Mar 23, 2026 10:34SMM News, March 23: In the morning session, SHFE aluminum 2604 fluctuated upward, while the price center fell sharply from the previous trading day. Affected by the decline in aluminum prices, overall buying sentiment increased today, prompting sellers to hold prices firm. Today’s mainstream transaction prices were concentrated at SHFE aluminum 04 contract +10 yuan/mt to +20 yuan/mt. Today, the east China market shipment sentiment index was 2.72, down 0.58 MoM; the purchasing sentiment index was 3.3, up 0.07 MoM. Today, aluminum prices extended their decline, and premiums in central China remained in positive territory. Traders’ willingness to purchase and stockpile was somewhat lower than in the previous two days. Although downstream processing enterprises showed some willingness to buy the dip, they still did not make large-scale concentrated purchases, and overall market purchase sentiment weakened somewhat. In the end, actual quotes and transaction prices in the central China market declined all the way, from a 50 yuan premium over the central China price before the opening to near parity with the central China price, while suppliers showed no obvious willingness to hold prices firm. Today, the central China market shipment sentiment index was 2.63, up 0.01 MoM; the purchasing sentiment index was 2.48, down 0.03 MoM. Inventory side, aluminum ingot inventory in major consumption regions increased by 8,000 mt MoM today, with destocking mainly coming from Wuxi and Guangdong. In the short term, aluminum ingot inventory continued its post-Chinese New Year seasonal buildup. Affected by bullish sentiment, premiums are expected to maintain a narrowing trend.
Mar 23, 2026 13:04Australia's Atlantic Lithium has obtained approval from Ghana's parliament to develop the Ewoyaa project—the country's first lithium mine—and will be subject to revised royalty terms linked to market prices.
Mar 23, 2026 18:19SMM Nickel News, March 23: Macro and market news: (1) Trump demanded that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, or its power stations would be destroyed. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded that if Trump's threat to attack Iranian power stations were carried out, Iran would immediately take four measures, including fully closing the Strait of Hormuz. (2) Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People's Bank of China, said at the China Development Forum 2026 Annual Conference on March 22 that China would continue to implement a moderately accommodative monetary policy. A range of monetary policy tools, including the reserve requirement ratio (RRR), policy interest rates, and open market operations, would be used in a comprehensive manner to maintain ample liquidity. Spot market: On March 23, the SMM price of #1 refined nickel fell by 50 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Spot premiums, the average premium for Jinchuan #1 refined nickel was 6,550 yuan/mt, unchanged from the previous trading day; the mainstream China electrodeposited nickel brands were at -300-400 yuan/mt. Futures market: The most-traded SHFE nickel contract (2605) fluctuated at highs during the session and closed the morning session at 134,810 yuan/mt, up 1.28%. Nickel prices are currently in a phase of intense tug-of-war between macro headwinds and supply risks. Short term, tighter Indonesian RKAB quotas, continued increases in ore prices, and the risk of sulfur supply disruptions have formed a solid bottom, but high inventory and the slow recovery in end-use demand still capped upside room. The core trading range of the most-traded SHFE nickel contract is expected at 130,000-140,000 yuan/mt in the short term.
Mar 23, 2026 11:31Combined for January and February 2026, China’s cumulative chrome ore imports reached 4.0144 million tons, up 13.2% year-on-year. Breakdown by origin: imports from South Africa were 3.2422 million tons (up 6.2% year-on-year), imports from Turkey were 184,700 tons (up 55.8% year-on-year), and imports from Zimbabwe were 400,000 tons (up 70.3% year-on-year).
Mar 23, 2026 14:15[SMM Tungsten Daily Review: Slight Price Collapse in the Scrap Tungsten Market, Ore and Upstream Smelting Products Consolidated Sideways] SMM News, March 23 In the short term, prices across the tungsten industry chain still showed divergence between primary and recycled materials. China was currently in a transition period marked by tightening supply on the raw ore side and a rising utilization rate of recycled materials. Smelters still needed some time to adjust their restocking practices and complete the adaptation and transition from a long-term contract pricing model led by the ore side to a scrap tungsten market procurement model featuring higher-frequency transactions and greater sensitivity to sentiment.
Mar 23, 2026 17:32SMM launches the "SMM China Titanium Dioxide Price Index" to provide a transparent pricing reference and reflect market trends, effective from March 20, 2026.
PriceMar 19, 2026 11:59Dear User, Greetings! In recent years, the development of the secondary zinc industry has attracted significant attention however, the domestic supply of secondary zinc oxide has become increasingly tight. In contrast, Southeast Asia boasts abundant resources of secondary zinc oxide raw materials at relatively low prices, which has prompted many Chinese enterprises to establish production facilities in the region, with a considerable number choosing Vietnam. Meanwhile, amid growing uncertainties in international trade, an increasing number of companies are relocating their plants to Vietnam to achieve integrated procurement, production, and sales, gradually forming a market trend. To keep pace with the globalization of international trade and the market development of secondary zinc oxide both domestically and overseas, and to reflect the true price fluctuations of secondary zinc oxide in the global market, SMM plans to launch the CIF Imported Secondary Zinc Oxide Payable . The SMM CIF Imported Secondary Zinc Oxide Payable is an indicative price formed and published by SMM according to this methodology, which can be used by trading parties as a reference for settling secondary zinc oxide trades from Vietnam. This price reflects the mainstream price of the CIF Imported Secondary Zinc Oxide Payable for each month. The price will be officially launched on November 28, 2025, and historical prices can be viewed simultaneously on the SMM website (smm.cn). The price will be published by 18:00 on the last working day of each month. Price Definition: The mainstream transaction price of CIF Imported Secondary Zinc Oxide Payable in actual trades during the month. Going forward, SMM will continue to monitor changes in the zinc industry chain market, optimize SMM prices, and better serve the industry! For any inquiries regarding the price, please contact Zinc Analyst Hua Lin at 021-20707885 hualin@smm.cn. SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. Zinc Research Team November 21, 2025
PriceNov 21, 2025 18:11Dear User, Greetings! To assist secondary aluminum enterprises in accurately grasping the regional supply-demand pattern within the domestic market, obtaining real-time spot aluminum scrap price information from core production areas, effectively reducing information barriers and communication costs in transaction processes, and further improving the price system and research dimensions of the secondary aluminum industry chain, SMM, after multiple rounds of market surveys and data accumulation, plans to revise the content of the original price points. The specific update arrangements are as follows for market reference. Explanation of Modifications to the Original Aluminum Scrap Price Points: The content changes for the following four price points—Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap (Foshan), Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap (Anhui), Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap (Changege), and Shredded Aluminum Cast Scrap (Foshan)—only involve supplementary modifications to the names, specifications, and definitions of the previous price points and do not affect the reference and viewing of corresponding historical prices. 1. Price Point Name: Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap (Foshan) revised to Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap Liquid Aluminum Price (Foshan) Specification: Water yield rate 90-93% revised to Water yield rate 90-93%, Copper >1.5% Definition: Transaction price, self pick-up price at goods yard revised to Liquid aluminum price, settled based on actual metal yield, guidance price for self pick-up at goods yards in the Foshan area. 2. Price Point Name: Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap (Anhui) revised to Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap Liquid Aluminum Price (Anhui) Specification: Water yield rate 90-93% revised to Water yield rate 90-93%, Copper >1.5% Definition: Transaction price, self pick-up price at goods yard revised to Liquid aluminum price, settled based on actual metal yield, guidance price for self pick-up at goods yards in the Anhui area. 3. Price Point Name: Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap (Changege) revised to Shredded Aluminum Tense Scrap Liquid Aluminum Price (Changege) Specification: Water yield rate 90-93% revised to Water yield rate 90-93%, Copper >1.5% Definition: Transaction price, self pick-up price at goods yard revised to Liquid aluminum price, settled based on actual metal yield, guidance price for self pick-up at goods yards in the Changege area. 4. Price Point Name: Shredded Aluminum Cast Scrap (Foshan) revised to Shredded Aluminum Cast Scrap Liquid Aluminum Price (Foshan) Definition: Transaction price, self pick-up price at goods yard revised to Liquid aluminum price, settled based on actual metal yield, guidance price for self pick-up at goods yards in the Foshan area. Effective Time: The modifications to the aforementioned price points will be officially released starting November 12, 2025, and updated every working day. This revision aims to more accurately reflect market price levels through more refined grade classifications and provide market participants with more targeted decision-making references. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Chen Chichang at 021-51595820. SMM Aluminum Industry Research Team November 12, 2025
PriceNov 12, 2025 17:09