On April 2, 2026, the White House ushered US steel trade policy into "Version 2.0." This strategic shift goes beyond simple tariff hikes. It uses full-value taxation and melt-and-pour traceability to block low-end imported raw materials, while applying structural tariff reductions to finished products to ease manufacturing inflation. Ultimately, this two-pronged approach aims to forcibly bring the global supply chain back to domestic US steel production.

[SMM Brass Bar Flash News] This week (3.27-4.2), the operating rate of the brass billet industry came in at 55.16, up a slight 0.77 percentage points WoW. The industry as a whole remained mild, supported strongly by robust demand from downstream refrigeration and heat dissipation sectors.

[SMM Brass Bar Flash News] Looking ahead to April, enterprises reported that current order momentum has cooled somewhat compared with the initial period after the Chinese New Year, but the refrigeration sector still maintained a certain degree of support. Large enterprises maintained an active production stance and continued to capture market share. SMM expects the operating rate in April to increase slightly by 1.47 percentage points MoM to 54.06%.

[SMM Brass Bar Flash News] After returning from the holiday, brass bar enterprises saw solid order performance, exceeding market expectations. Robust demand from downstream refrigeration and heat dissipation sectors provided strong support, while downstream customers actively picked up goods to fulfill orders, driving a slight drop back in finished product inventories at copper billet enterprises.

[SMM Brass Bar Flash News] In March, the comprehensive operating rate of copper billet enterprises was 52.59, up 29.81 percentage points MoM and down 1.79 percentage points YoY. In March, the operating rate of large enterprises was 59.81, that of medium-sized enterprises was 43.93, and the operating rate of small enterprises was only 28.7, with clear divergence among enterprises.

This week (3.27-4.2), the operating rate of the brass billet industry came in at 55.16%, rebounding slightly by 0.77 percentage points MoM , with the industry as a whole maintaining a mild trend. Robust demand from downstream refrigeration and heat dissipation sectors provided strong support, while active downstream cargo pick-up for order delivery also drove a slight drop back in finished product inventories at copper billet enterprises. Looking ahead to next week (4.3-4.9), order momentum is expected to cool somewhat from the initial period after the Chinese New Year, but the refrigeration sector will still provide support, and large enterprises will maintain active production. Considering multiple factors, SMM expects the industry's operating rate to edge up 0.32 percentage points MoM to 55.48% next week, with overall operations remaining mild.