The most-traded HRC contract closed at 3,325 today, slipping 0.03% throughout the day. Spot side, HRC prices firmed, edging up 10 yuan/mt, while CRC prices remained flat, with overall trading on the weak side. City-level HRC inventory data was released today. Zhangjiagang, Ningbo, and Lecong continued destocking, but the pace of destocking slowed down, while Shanghai and Tangshan experienced inventory buildup. City inventory trends diverged. Due to the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, a temporary, modest buildup in HRC social inventory is expected this week. Going forward, impacted by the Dragon Boat Festival holiday and the failure of demand to rebound post-holiday, the fundamental pressure on sheets & plates is emerging. However, with market talk of coke initiating a ninth round of increase, cost support for sheets & plates prices still holds. In the near term, plates & sheets prices are projected to remain in the doldrums.

[SMM Silicon-Based PV Morning Meeting Summary] Silicon metal: SMM oxygen-blown #553 silicon in east China was at 9,100-9,200 yuan/mt yesterday, and #441 silicon was at 9,300-9,400 yuan/mt. The most-traded futures contract hovered around 8,500 yuan/mt. Silicon metal prices continued to move sideways in a narrow range. In recent days, the market has seen no new news disruptions, leading to a stalemate in price changes. Increasing supply put prices under pressure in the short term. Wafer: Market prices for 18X wafers were 0.86-0.9 yuan/piece, 210RN wafers were 0.96-1.00 yuan/piece, and 210N wafers were 1.16-1.2 yuan/piece. Smaller factories have already begun to see transactions at lower prices. 18X wafers are under the most severe pressure, and the high end of the overall price range is trending further downward.

In May 2026, China's copper cathode import and export market continued and deepened the pattern of "rising imports, falling exports". Driven by phased changes in domestic demand and the import arbitrage window, copper cathode imports kept climbing steadily, while exports contracted notably following the high base earlier.

SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Overnight LME copper opened at $13,720/mt, hitting the intraday high of $13,740.5/mt right at the open, then fluctuated downward to a low of $13,633.2/mt before finally settling at $13,587/mt, up 0.62%. Trading volume reached 16,000 lots, and open interest stood at 252,000 lots, down 969 lots from the previous trading day, as bulls reduced positions. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE copper 2607 contract opened at 104,990 yuan/mt, edged up to 105,170 yuan/mt in early trading, then fluctuated downward to a low of 104,470 yuan/mt, and finally settled at 104,990 yuan/mt, down 0.24%. Trading volume reached 14,000 lots, and open interest stood at 104,000 lots, down 2,268 lots from the previous trading day, as bulls reduced positions.

[SMM Lead Morning Brief: Macro Situation Improves, Lead Prices in and outside China Stop Falling and Rebound] SMM June 23 news: Overnight, LME lead opened at $1,956.5/mt, and in early trading, LME lead trended weaker, once falling below $1,950/mt. Later, the Middle East peace talks progressed positively...

[SMM Lead Morning Meeting Summary: Macro and Fundamental Bullish and Bearish Factors Coexist, Lead Prices Expected to Consolidate] On Monday, the first round of high-level talks between the US and Iran concluded, and a joint statement released by Qatar and Pakistan showed that all parties reached a roadmap. After the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, lead ingot social inventory accumulated as expected, putting lead prices under pressure. Currently, in the mid-year period, upstream and downstream enterprises are facing...