
Among them, the Gulf region was an important consumer market for China in the Middle East: China’s exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip to Saudi Arabia reached 42,500 mt, and aluminum foil 58,000 mt; exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip to the UAE reached 103,500 mt, and aluminum foil 93,800 mt; the other four countries (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman) accounted for combined exports of about 22,000 mt of aluminum plate/sheet and strip and about 11,000 mt of aluminum foil.
Mar 14, 2026 17:35[SMM Analysis] Freight Rates Surge, Making Deals Difficult for Steel Expor ters Affected by the US-Iran conflict, tight energy supply and sharply higher fuel costs, compounded by exchange rate fluctuations, have continuously pushed up China's export offers in recent days. Compared with the beginning of the month (March 6), SMM HRC prices have been raised by $9/mt; galvanizing prices rose by $11/mt; CRC rose by $5/mt; billet rose by $6/mt; and rebar rose by $6/mt. However, looking back at market transaction performance, deals weakened again recently. According to the SMM survey, ocean freight rates surged sharply, with current freight to the Middle East as high as $50-60. Most outside China clients remained on the sidelines; shipowners also refused to commit tonnage while waiting for the market to stabilize. For China exporters, there were offers but no market, making shipments difficult. Meanwhile, market sources said Hadeed, the GCC's only flat steel producer, raised its May hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices, still related to shipping restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. HRC cargoes previously booked from China and other origins were also being redirected to the west coast, mainly heading to Jeddah Port, bringing high inland transportation costs. As for global steel prices, in India, in addition to rising raw material costs and rupee depreciation, a sudden LNG energy shortage further pushed up production costs, forcing steel mills to maintain a strong willingness to hold prices firm despite the traditional domestic off-season and blocked exports. In the Southeast Asian market, price increases were accepted entirely passively, mainly due to the rigid pass-through of high ocean freight rates by overseas suppliers. Although Southeast Asian buyers hesitated to take orders, they had no choice but to passively accept the increases against the backdrop of persistently high geopolitical logistics costs. At the same time, CIS export offers also rose significantly, benefiting from the intensifying geopolitical conflict in the Middle East and the resulting short-term global supply tightens. In the Middle East market, meanwhile, as war tensions continued to escalate, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz completely disrupted transportation, while freight rates and delivery uncertainty pushed the sheets & plates import markets in the UAE and Saudi Arabia into a complete standstill. Copyright and Intellectual Property Statement: This report is independently created or compiled by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "SMM"), and SMM legally enjoys complete copyright and related intellectual property rights. The copyright, trademark rights, domain name rights, commercial data information property rights, and other related intellectual property rights of all content contained in this report (including but not limited to information, articles, data, charts, pictures, audio, video, logos, advertisements, trademarks, trade names, domain names, layout designs, etc.) are owned or held by SMM or its related right holders. The above rights are strictly protected by relevant laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China, such as the Copyright Law of the People's Republic of China, the Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China, as well as applicable international treaties. Without prior written authorization from SMM, no institution or individual may: 1. Use all or part of this report in any form (including but not limited to reprinting, modifying, selling, transferring, displaying, translating, compiling, disseminating); 2. Disclose the content of this report to any third party; 3. License or authorize any third party to use the content of this report; 4. For any unauthorized use, SMM will legally pursue the legal responsibilities of the infringer, demanding that they bear legal responsibilities including but not limited to contractual breach liability, returning unjust enrichment, and compensating for direct and indirect economic losses. Data Source Statement: (Except for publicly available information, other data in this report are derived from publicly available information (including but not limited to industry news, seminars, exhibitions, corporate financial reports, brokerage reports, data from the National Bureau of Statistics, customs import and export data, various data published by major associations and institutions, etc.), market exchanges, and comprehensive analysis and reasonable inferences made by the research team based on SMM's internal database models. This information is for reference only and does not constitute decision-making advice. SMM reserves the final interpretation right of the terms in this statement and the right to adjust and modify the content of the statement according to actual circumstances.
Mar 17, 2026 15:28Gold prices fall due to interest rate gloom and Middle East tensions. US Fed and major central banks likely to maintain current interest rates. Long-term gold outlook positive, seen as a hedge against risks.
Mar 17, 2026 13:30On the 12th, China’s export prices for sheets & plates rose by $1-2/mt.
Mar 12, 2026 11:07[SMM Flash News] Aluminum Fundamentals This Week SMM, March 12: Fundamentals: Downstream producers gradually resumed operations after the holiday, and demand for liquid aluminum continued to recover. As of this Thursday, the weekly proportion of liquid aluminum rebounded by about 1.2 percentage points WoW, end-use demand steadily repaired, and downstream operating rates increased further. Driven by the PV installation rush, operating performance remained strong; construction recovered slowly after the holiday, and extrusion operating rates rose WoW; boosted by auto and packaging orders, aluminum plate/sheet, strip and foil operating rates also rebounded this week.
Mar 12, 2026 16:37Electra Battery Materials (NASDAQ, TSXV: ELBM) has signed a fresh deal with LG Energy Solution that would see the company supply battery-grade cobalt to the South Korean firm through at least 2029. The parties on Tuesday signed a new term sheet outlining Electra’s commitment to supplying 60% of the cobalt sulfates produced at its Ontario refinery, which is currently under construction. The supply agreement is valid through 2029, plus a three-year extension option. This agreement follows an initial three-year agreement signed in 2022 and the subsequent five-year extension announced in July 2023, reflecting Electra’s updated production timelines under the contract.
Mar 11, 2026 17:54Dear Customer, Dear Valued Client, To keep pace with the rapid development of the secondary copper industry and meet the market's need for in-depth analysis of the recycling industry and the supply-demand pattern of copper cathode, our company has conducted a deep optimization of our data models. We are now systematically upgrading and adjusting the standards and content of monthly supply-demand balance data related to China's copper scrap, and implementing the following treatment for historical data: I. Adjustments Made This upgrade primarily optimizes and updates the following indicators in the balance sheet: Discontinuation of "SMM Domestic Copper Scrap Supply" and "SMM Domestic Copper Scrap Supply - Forecasted Value," and adjustment of the two data points under "Domestic Copper Scrap Production": "Domestic Old Scrap Production (Metal Content)" and "Domestic Old Scrap Production (Metal Content) - Forecasted Value." (Data modification path: Database - Copper - Copper Scrap - Production) II. Treatment of Historical Data Historical domestic copper scrap production data will no longer be updated starting from September 2025. Subsequent data will be uniformly released according to the new standards, with the revised data retroactively applied from January 2025. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the SMM customer service team at any time. Thank you for your continued support and trust! III. Effective Date Effective from February 1, 2026 SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. SMM Copper Research Team Liang Kaihui, 86-21-5159-5826 January 21, 2026
DataJan 21, 2026 13:54Respected Client, To keep pace with the rapid development of the magnesium industry and the evolving needs for supply-demand analysis, our company has optimized the data model based on the SMM Magnesium Database and is now systematically upgrading the data standards and historical data for magnesium-related metrics in China and globally. Details are as follows: Data Standards and Historical Data Adjustment Notice I. Background of Adjustment With the rapid growth of downstream magnesium alloy demand, the magnesium market landscape continues to evolve. Factors such as technological advancements in die-casting equipment, varying penetration rates of magnesium alloy die-cast parts across different thickness markets, and recycling utilization rates have significantly impacted recycled magnesium production. To better capture the effects of industry changes on supply-demand analysis, and in conjunction with SMM's further in-depth research on the proportion of magnesium added in aluminum industry processes—improving recycled magnesium recovery and utilization coefficients and revising historical data for "primary magnesium" and "magnesium powder" production—we are now adjusting and updating the following metrics in the balance sheet: "recycled magnesium supply," "primary magnesium supply," "magnesium consumption in aluminum products," and "magnesium powder production." II. Adjustment Details Data Points Revised: "Recycled Magnesium Supply," "Primary Magnesium Supply," "Magnesium Consumption in Aluminum Products," "Magnesium Powder Production." Revision Scope: Historical data from January 1, 2023, onward (including retrospective revisions and future forecasts). III. Effective Date December 12, 2025 Shanghai Metals Market Information & Technology Co., Ltd. SMM Magnesium Research Team Zhu Qifan 86-21-5166-6729 December 12, 2025
DataDec 12, 2025 13:10To Valued Customers Dear Customers, To fully cover the price information across all links of the tungsten industry chain, accurately reflect the spot market trends of products such as low-grade tungsten concentrate, tungsten products, photovoltaic tungsten wire busbars and tungsten scrap, and help enterprises upstream and downstream of the industrial chain keep abreast of market changes and reduce trading risks, we have decided to add 11 new tungsten industry chain - related price points after conducting sufficient market research and in-depth communication with the industry. The new price points are detailed as follows: Scheelite Concentrate (25%-30% WO₃) : Compliant with the industrial standards applicable in Henan, Guangxi and Hunan regions. It refers to scheelite concentrate with a WO₃ content ranging from 25% to 30%. Unit: RMB per ton-unit of WO₃. Scheelite Concentrate (23%-25% WO₃) : Compliant with the industrial standard YS/T 231 - 2015. It refers to scheelite concentrate with a WO₃ content ranging from 23% to 25%. Unit: RMB per ton-unit of WO₃. Ammonium Metatungstate (AMT) : Compliant with the national standard GB/T 26033 - 2010. Its technical indicators are as follows: WO₃ content ≥ 81.5%, Fe content ≤ 0.0020%, Pb content ≤ 0.0001%, and Si content ≤ 0.0015%. Unit: RMB per ton. Wire-Drawing Tungsten Bar : Compliant with the requirements of the national standard GB/T 3459 - 2022, with a tungsten (W) content ≥ 99.95%. Unit: RMB per kilogram. Steelmaking Tungsten Bar : Compliant with the requirements of the national standard GB/T 3459 - 2022, with a tungsten (W) content ≥ 99.95%. Unit: RMB per kilogram. Cut-Resistant Tungsten Wire for Photovoltaic Applications (24μm - 30μm) : With a tungsten (W) content ≥ 99.95%, a diameter ranging from 24μm to 30μm, and a tensile strength of ≥ 3500MPa. Unit: RMB per kilometer. The above - listed prices are all ex - factory pick - up prices including 13% value - added tax (VAT). Details of the 5 New Tungsten Scrap Price Points Scrap Button Bits : Compliant with the quality requirements for cemented carbide scrap specified in the national standard GB/T 21182 - 2022. Unit: RMB per kilogram. Scrap Anvils : Compliant with the quality requirements for cemented carbide scrap specified in the national standard GB/T 21182 - 2022. Unit: RMB per kilogram. Scrap Roller Rings : Compliant with the quality requirements for cemented carbide scrap specified in the national standard GB/T 21182 - 2022. Unit: RMB per kilogram. Scrap Tungsten Chips/Wires : Compliant with the requirements of the national standard GB/T 26496 - 2011 Tungsten and Tungsten Alloy Scrap . It has a tungsten content ≥ 90% and no other inclusions. Unit: RMB per kilogram. Scrap Tungsten Blocks/Sheets : Compliant with the requirements of the national standard GB/T 26496 - 2011 Tungsten and Tungsten Alloy Scrap . It has a tungsten content ≥ 90% and no other inclusions. Unit: RMB per kilogram. The five tungsten scrap prices mentioned above are all excluding VAT. Effective Date The above - mentioned new price points will be officially released starting from November 21, 2025 and updated on each working day. The launch of these new price points aims to achieve more refined classification by region and grade. All the new price points are formulated based on mainstream industrial trading specifications and terms, which have been verified through a standardized price - data collection process. They are for market reference only and do not constitute trading decision - making advice. For details on the pricing methodology and specific product specifications, please visit our official platform. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Li Jiahui from SMM Tungsten and Molybdenum Analysis at 021 - 51666882.
PriceNov 20, 2025 14:47