During the 2026 Labour Day holiday, production arrangements among China's secondary copper rod enterprises showed a notable divergence, with some choosing to halt production for the holiday while others maintained normal operations

On April 9, 2026, the Japanese Cabinet officially approved the latest amendment to the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Act (commonly known as the "Waste Cleansing Act"). The core of the amendment is to upgrade metal recycling operations from a notification system to a permit system, and to impose a new obligation requiring confirmation from the Minister of the Environment for scrap metal exports.

According to customs data, China's aluminum foil (tariff codes 76071110, 76071120, 76071190, 76071900, 76072000) total exports in March 2026 reached 103,500 mt, up 10% MoM but down 13% YoY. The share of exports to the UAE plunged from 6.8% in January-February to 2.5% in March, with the Middle East trade chain nearly severed.

According to customs data, China's aluminum plate/sheet and strip (tariff codes 76061121, 76061129, 76061191, 76061199, 76061220, 76061230, 76061251, 76061259, 76061290, 76069100, 76069200) exports in March 2026 reached 278,200 mt, up 21% MoM and up 3% YoY.

Scrap tightening and a major nickel-cobalt producer's output cut pushed SHFE stainless steel to levels not seen since 2023 — yet physical demand remains conspicuously absent heading into the May Day break

【SMM Analysis】 Why Are Chinese Lead-Acid Battery Enterprises Taking More Holidays for the 2026 Labor Day? As the Labor Day holiday approaches at the end of April, SMM conducted a survey on holiday arrangements among lead-acid battery enterprises across 10 provinces in China.