Platinum prices stopped falling and rebounded intraday. On the geopolitical front, the US announced the cancellation of military operations, and as the US and Iran sent signals of easing tensions, precious metals, which had been under pressure and plummeted recently, rebounded collectively. In morning trading, the most-traded GFEX platinum futures contract PT2608 settled at 433 yuan/g, up 3.99%. The inverted spread between the SGE Pt9995 ask price and GFEX PT2608 held near 3 yuan/g. In the spot market, mainstream platinum quotations were at a discount of 3 yuan/g to parity against the PT2608 contract, and as futures rebounded, the discount in mainstream quotations widened slightly from the previous day. According to SMM, most suppliers offered at a discount of 2 yuan/g to parity against the GFEX 2608 contract, but downstream enterprises showed strong bargaining sentiment, making transactions difficult. Some traders reported that with platinum prices rebounding and downstream enterprises having sufficient stockpiles, trading was poor today. Overall, spot platinum market trading was sluggish today.
Jun 12, 2026 12:23[SMM Daily Review: Futures Rebound Lifts Sentiment; Local NPI Trading Volume Picks Up] Jun 12 (SMM) — The SMM high-grade NPI upstream sentiment factor was 2.73, up 0.01 MoM, while the downstream sentiment factor was 1.82, also up 0.01 MoM.
Jun 12, 2026 12:17SMM Nickel, June 12: Macro and Market News: (1) Hours after Trump announced he would bomb Iran again, Trump stated that, given the consultation results with Iran have been approved by Iran’s top leadership, the strike on Iran tonight is canceled. The US-Iran agreement has entered the finalization stage and is expected to be signed in Europe this weekend. (2) The European Central Bank raised its three key interest rates by 25 basis points as expected, marking the first hike in nearly three years. ECB President Lagarde stated that today’s decision is not an aggressive move, and the 25-basis-point hike serves as a signal. Spot Market: On June 12, SMM #1 refined nickel price rose by 900 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Regarding spot premiums, Jinchuan #1 refined nickel averaged 1,750 yuan/mt, up 400 yuan/mt from the previous trading day, while domestic mainstream brand electrodeposited nickel premiums ranged from -500 to 400 yuan/mt. Futures Market: The most-traded SHFE nickel 2607 contract rebounded in early trading, closing the morning session at 135,370 yuan/mt, up 0.94%. US CPI exceeded expectations, fueling rate hike expectations, and the world entered a monetary tightening window. On the Indonesia side, the premium accumulated earlier due to ore scarcity is being corrected. China’s refined nickel inventory has reached a historic high, and domestic inventory continues to increase. Visible inventory pressure has not been fundamentally alleviated, and nickel prices are under pressure in the short term.
Jun 12, 2026 12:15SMM, June 12: Base metals market: As of the midday close, base metals on the domestic market nearly all rose. SHFE copper gained 1.51%, SHFE tin jumped 2.97%, SHFE nickel edged up 0.94%, SHFE aluminum added 1.06%, SHFE zinc rose 0.43%, and SHFE lead lost 0.31%. Meanwhile, the most-traded foundry alloy futures rose 0.45%, alumina added 1.45%, lithium carbonate surged 3.85%, silicon metal gained 0.63%, and polysilicon futures jumped 5.91%. Ferrous metals all rose, with iron ore up 0.13%, rebar up 0.66%, HRC up 0.74%, and stainless steel up 2.15%. Coking coal and coke: the most-traded coking coal contract rose 3.02%, and the most-traded coke contract surged 5.63%. Overseas base metals: as of 11:38, LME metals all rose. LME copper added 1.01%, LME aluminum gained 0.54%, LME lead edged up, LME zinc rose 0.26%, LME tin added 0.25%, and LME nickel gained 0.67%. Precious metals: as of 11:38, COMEX gold surged 2.63%, and COMEX silver soared 5.36%. Domestic precious metals: the most-traded SHFE gold contract rose 1.89%, and the most-traded SHFE silver contract surged 4.36%. Additionally, as of the midday break, the most-traded platinum futures jumped 3.99%, and the most-traded palladium futures surged 5.69%. As of the midday close, the most-traded containerized freight index (Europe) contract fell 1.16% to 3,929.5 points. Selected futures midday quotes as of 11:38, June 12: Spot and Fundamentals Copper: Today, Guangdong #1 copper cathode spot prices against the front-month contract: high-quality copper was reported at 270 yuan/mt, up 30 yuan/mt from the previous trading day; standard-quality copper was at a premium of 210 yuan/mt, up 30 yuan/mt; SX-EW copper was at a premium of 150 yuan/mt, up 30 yuan/mt. The average price of Guangdong #1 copper cathode was 104,715 yuan/mt, up 1,090 yuan/mt from the previous trading day, and the average price for SX-EW copper was 104,625 yuan/mt, up 1,075 yuan/mt. Spot market: Guangdong inventory has fallen for 9 consecutive days, hitting a new low for the year... Macro Front China: [PBOC's open market operations saw a net injection of 178 billion yuan today and a net injection of 885.8 billion yuan this week] The PBOC conducted 393 billion yuan in 7-day reverse repos today. With 215 billion yuan in 7-day reverse repos maturing today, the net injection for the day reached 178 billion yuan. This week, the PBOC conducted 1,112 billion yuan in 7-day reverse repos, and with 226.2 billion yuan in 7-day reverse repos maturing, the net injection for the week was 885.8 billion yuan. (Jinshi Data APP) [Guangzhou: Fully promote the implementation of major projects such as intelligent connected NEVs, AI, semiconductors and integrated circuits, and the low-altitude economy] The "Guangzhou Commerce Development 15th Five-Year Plan (Public Consultation Draft)" is open for public comment. It states that implementation of major projects for intelligent connected NEVs, ultra-high-definition video and new-type displays, green petrochemicals and new materials, intelligent equipment and robotics, AI, semiconductors and integrated circuits, and the low-altitude economy will be fully promoted. The aim is to cultivate a group of leading intermediate product enterprises that are high-tech, manufacturing single champions, or specialized and sophisticated. It will push foreign trade transformation and upgrading bases to accelerate the development of intermediate product trade and cultivate well-known brands and "chain owner" enterprises. Support will be given for enterprises to undergo digital transformation using industrial internet, big data, and AI to improve production efficiency and product quality, driving the intermediate product trade towards high-end, digital, and intelligent development. (Jinshi Data APP) US dollar: As of 11:38, the US dollar index rose 0.06% to 99.75. According to the CME "FedWatch Tool": the probability of the US Fed holding interest rates steady in June is 98.5%, and the probability of a cumulative 25bp rate cut is 1.5%. For July, the probability of rates staying unchanged is 91.3%, the probability of a cumulative 25bp hike is 7.4%, and the probability of a cumulative 25bp cut is 1.4%. The market has pushed back expectations for a US Fed rate hike from December this year to January next year and is no longer fully pricing in a hike this year. (Jinshi Data APP) Influenced by the ongoing war in Iran pushing up inflationary pressures, US producer prices rose at their fastest pace in over three years in May. Data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday showed that the US PPI rose 6.5% YoY in May, the largest increase since November 2022, and was up 1.1% MoM. Core PPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 4.9% YoY. The report highlighted the growing damage to the US economy from the energy price shock triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. With the conflict unlikely to be resolved soon, businesses are passing on higher energy and transportation costs, and other goods and services are also becoming more expensive. Combined with data earlier this week showing consumer prices rose at their fastest pace in three years in May, Thursday's PPI report is likely to further strengthen market expectations for a US Fed interest rate hike in 2026. With the labour market seemingly regaining growth momentum, the Fed is shifting its focus back to curbing inflation. Data: Today will see the release of Germany's final May CPI MoM, UK's three-month rolling GDP MoM for April, UK manufacturing production MoM for April, UK seasonally adjusted goods trade balance for April, UK industrial production MoM for April, France's final May CPI MoM, the preliminary US one-year inflation expectations for June, and the preliminary US University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index for June. Also in focus: the Huawei Developer Conference will be held from June 12-14; Elon Musk's commercial aerospace company SpaceX plans to list on Nasdaq on June 12, 2026. Crude oil: As of 11:38, oil prices fell in both markets. US crude oil lost 1.12%, and Brent crude oil lost 1.15%. Oil prices pulled back slightly amid a potential initial agreement between the US and Iran on a memorandum of understanding. According to CCTV, on June 11 local time, US President Trump posted on the social platform "Truth Social" that, given consultations with Iran have been submitted to and approved by the Iranian Supreme Leader, he has canceled the planned strikes and bombing operations against Iran originally scheduled for that evening. According to the latest OPEC data, Iran's crude oil production fell by 19% last month as the US blockaded the nation's ports during the ongoing conflict. Data from the monthly report released on Thursday showed output fell by 546,000 barrels per day to 2.33 million barrels per day. OPEC's latest monthly report showed the organization cut its 2026 global oil demand growth forecast to 970,000 barrels per day on Thursday, marking the second consecutive downward revision. Since the onset of the Iran war, the producer group has consistently viewed the conflict's impact on consumption as smaller than other forecasters like the US EIA and IEA, both of which predict demand will decline in 2026. The report also noted the organization raised its forecast for oil demand growth in 2027. (Jinshi Data APP) Spot Market Overview: ► ► ► Midday commentaries for other metal spots will be updated shortly, please refresh to view~
Jun 12, 2026 12:05[SMM Brass Billet Flash] Looking ahead to next week (6.12-6.18), most brass billet enterprises will continue production based on prior orders. Currently, the industry fundamentals—tight raw material supply, elevated costs, and sluggish end-use demand—have yet to show meaningful improvement. SMM expects the industry operating rate to pull back slightly by 0.32 percentage points WoW to 52.27% next week, with operating rates remaining under pressure in the near term.
Jun 12, 2026 10:57During the week (6.05-6.11), the operating rate of the brass billet industry in China was 52.59%, up 0.74 percentage points WoW and up 0.58 percentage points YoY. Copper prices pulled back sharply this week, stimulating a moderate release of downstream rigid demand orders. Producers' enthusiasm for starting production increased, leading the industry operating rate to edge up. The decline in copper prices prompted enterprises to proactively stockpile at low prices. However, secondary brass supply remained tight and prices stayed high, constraining enterprises’ restocking room. As a result, raw material inventory only edged up to 3.57 days. On the demand side, the traditional off-season impact continued. Rigid demand from end-use industries such as home appliances, sanitary ware, and hardware was insufficient. Downstream cargo pick-up pace was slow, and overall market trading sentiment was mediocre. Currently, the industry's finished product inventory days remained high at 5.31 days, and destocking was under pressure. Most brass billet enterprises still needed to destock. Looking ahead to next week (6.12-6.18), most copper billet enterprises are expected to continue production based on previous orders. At present, with tight raw material supply, high costs, and weak end-use demand, the industry fundamentals have not improved significantly. SMM expects the industry operating rate next week to pull back slightly by 0.32 percentage points WoW to 52.27%, and up 1.0 percentage points YoY. The industry operating rate will remain under pressure in the short term.
Jun 12, 2026 10:39Belgium, as an important metal trading, port logistics and regional distribution hub in Europe, is one of the key destinations for stainless steel imports entering the European market.
PriceJun 11, 2026 11:31SMM Clarification Statement SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "SMM" or "the Company"), as a professional spot market price reporting agency and information provider, has recently noticed the circulation of false information regarding the fairness of SMM's price assessment. To avoid market misunderstandings, maintain a healthy and transparent market environment, and protect the Company's legitimate rights and interests, SMM hereby makes the following solemn clarification and statement: I. The Difference Between Spot Prices and Futures Prices is a Normal Reflection of Market Mechanisms According to basic economic principles, spot prices reflect the immediate supply-demand relationship and deliverable transaction conditions of the underlying asset, while futures prices reflect market expectations for future supply and demand, including factors such as capital cost and carrying costs. Both follow the principle of "convergence at maturity," meaning that futures prices gradually converge towards spot prices as the contract expiration date approaches. Therefore, during the life of the contract, the difference between spot prices and futures prices, especially with far-month contracts, is a normal phenomenon under the market pricing mechanism. II. Historical Data Proves the Rationality of the Price Spread Structure To objectively present the facts, SMM has made a price spread analysis chart based on publicly available market data: The chart clearly shows that from September 2023 to 2025, the monthly price spread between the SMM battery-grade lithium carbonate average price and the GFEX lithium carbonate futures contract prices fluctuated between positive and negative territory, always remaining within a reasonable range, and exhibited a significant convergence trend as the contract expiration date approached. This fully aligns with the market rule of futures and spot price convergence. Comparing a certain periods' futures prices (especially those of far-month most-traded contracts) with spot assessment prices and concluding that there is a "consistent significant deviation" is fundamentally flawed in methodology and can easily mislead market judgment. Any behavior that selectively highlights short-term trends in the price spread without considering the broader context is partial and irresponsible, failing to reflect the overall market situation. III. Recent Market Risk Control Measures Recently, to maintain the stable operation of the lithium carbonate futures market and prevent potential risks, the Guangzhou Futures Exchange, in accordance with its risk management rules, issued multiple notifications consecutively between November and December 2025, implementing a series of risk control measures for relevant contracts, including adjustments to transaction fee standards and trading limits. These measures represent the exchange's commitment to fulfill its self-regulatory duties in accordance with the law during specific market periods, aiming to promote the steady development of the market. IV. The Emergence, Nature, and Harm of False Information It is noteworthy that during this sensitive period, when the aforementioned risk control measures were being intensively implemented, a significant amount of false information began circulating on the Internet. While such information varies in content, it shares an identical core narrative: False claims have been made that SMM’s prices "consistently and significantly deviate from fair value and futures prices" and that "there are illegal benefit-related connections with certain institutions". These claims are entirely groundless. The timing and manner of their dissemination indicate that their purpose is not professional discussion but rather an attempt to exert improper pressure on SMM by confusing the price logic of spot and futures markets, interfere with the neutrality of spot price assessments, and consequently potentially mislead market expectations and disrupt the normal relationship between futures and spot prices. SMM hereby solemnly declares that SMM is always committed to price discovery in the spot market, does not participate in any futures market trading operations, and resolutely maintains market order. V. The Compliance, Neutrality, and Supervision Mechanisms of SMM's Price Assessment As a professional market price assessment agency, SMM always adheres to the principles of neutrality, objectivity, and fairness. SMM's price assessment methodology strictly follows the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) "Principles for Financial Benchmarks" and is subject to audits by independent third-party audit firms. In terms of internal governance, SMM has established a comprehensive firewall system to ensure that personnel and management involved in the price assessment process do not hold any related futures or spot positions, thereby eliminating conflicts of interest at an institutional level. SMM also has no history of any penalties from securities regulatory authorities for violations. We consistently maintain an open attitude towards market supervision based on facts. VI. Appeal to the Public SMM strongly condemns the recent malicious fabrication and dissemination of false information in the market, which damages SMM's commercial reputation and attempts to disrupt the order of the futures and spot markets, and has initiated legal proceedings to protect its rights. Currently, SMM is comprehensively and continuously collecting and preserving evidence related to the infringements. For suspected infringing acts, the Company will take all legal measures, including but not limited to reporting to relevant regulatory authorities and filing complaints with relevant online platforms, to resolutely pursue the legal liability of the infringing parties. SMM reserves the right to pursue all legal consequences against the relevant responsible parties. We once again call on all market participants to enhance their legal awareness and professional discernment capabilities, obtain information from authoritative channels, analyze the market rationally, resolutely resist and refuse to spread any unverified and unfounded rumors, and jointly maintain a fair, orderly, and healthy development environment for the industry chain. SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. Dec 26, 2025
Dec 26, 2025 17:30In the past two years, the proportion of nickel ore exported from the Philippines to Indonesia has surged from less than 3% in 2023 to approximately 20% in 2024. This year, Indonesia’s domestic nickel ore supply is tightening under the dual pressures of progressively stricter government controls over nickel resources and prolonged rainy seasons. Consequently, exports of nickel ore from the Philippines to Indonesia are expected to increase further. Against this backdrop, the valuation and pricing mechanisms for Philippine nickel ore in the Indonesian market are drawing close attention from participants across the supply chain. To proactively address market shifts, meet the pressing need for price discovery of Philippine nickel ore on a CIF Indonesia basis, and enhance market transparency, SMM has decided: Commencing August 15, 2025, SMM will officially launch two new price: SMM the Philippines 1.3% Laterite Nickel Ore, CIF Indonesia, USD/wmt SMM the Philippines 1.4% Laterite Nickel Ore, CIF Indonesia, USD/wmt Details of this price point are as follows: Description: SMM the Philippines 1.3% Laterite Nickel Ore, CIF Indonesia, USD/wmt Quality: Nickel ore 1.3% Ni, 15-25% Fe, water content 33-35% Quantity: Minimum 50000 tonnes Definition: CIF Indoneisa main ports Brand Listing: CNC、NAC,etc Timing: 1-2 Months Unit: USD/wmt Payment Terms: L/C/TT at sight in USD , other payment terms normalized Pulication: Daily, by 12am Beijing Time Description: SMM the Philippines 1.4% Laterite Nickel Ore, CIF Indonesia, USD/wmt Quality: Nickel ore 1.4% Ni, 15-25% Fe, water content 33-35% Quantity: Minimum 50000 tonnes Definition: CIF Indoneisa main ports Brand Listing: CNC、NAC,etc Timing: 1-2 Months Unit: USD/wmt Payment Terms: L/C/TT at sight in USD , other payment terms normalized Pulication: Daily, by 12am Beijing Time SMM Nickel Industry Research Department August 8, 2025
PriceAug 8, 2025 16:19