[Bulls Cut Open Interest, Silicon Metal Prices Weakened; Polysilicon Prices Remained Stable Overall]: Spot prices were mostly stable this week, with prices of certain silicon grades edging down slightly. As of May 14, SMM east China oxygen-blown #553 silicon was at 9,200-9,400 yuan/mt, down 50 yuan/mt WoW; #441 silicon was at 9,400-9,600 yuan/mt, flat WoW; #3303 silicon was at 10,100-10,300 yuan/mt, flat WoW. Futures market sentiment cooled. In terms of total open interest, it began to decline sharply from Tuesday as funds took profits and exited, causing futures prices to pull back. On Thursday (May 14), total open interest in silicon metal stood at 450,000 lots, down 85,000 lots or 16% from Monday. The most-traded SI2609 contract closed at 8,655 yuan/mt on Thursday, down 455 yuan/mt or 5% from Monday, as the silicon market returned to fundamentals-driven logic. Transaction side, downstream users showed strong wait-and-see sentiment amid the price fluctuations, with transactions mainly driven by rigid restocking demand.

The Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade has asked the US Department of Commerce to launch a nationwide anti-circumvention probe into solar imports from Ethiopia. AASMT alleges that Chinese-origin wafers are being processed into cells in Ethiopia and then assembled into modules in Ethiopia or Vietnam for export to the US, bypassing existing AD/CVD duties. The petition comes after US imports of Ethiopian solar products surged from zero in June 2025 to over USD 300 million by year-end, raising concerns that Ethiopia may become a new circumvention route amid tighter US scrutiny of solar supply chains.

[SMM Silicon-Based PV Morning Meeting Summary] Polysilicon: N-type recharging polysilicon was quoted at 34-36.1 yuan/kg. Polysilicon prices were relatively stable overall, with extremely limited order signing in the market. Some crystal pulling plants showed low-price purchase willingness, but top-tier manufacturers still held the floor above 35 yuan. With cost setting imminent, manufacturers had a strong wait-and-see sentiment. Wafer: Market 18X wafer prices were 0.9-0.93 yuan/piece, 210RN wafer prices were 1.00-1.03 yuan/piece, and 210N wafer prices were 1.2-1.23 yuan/piece. Recently, a top-tier enterprise completed bulk transactions of 210R wafers at 1.02 yuan/piece. Currently, except for 210N, the other two sizes had already accepted the previous round of price increases, and subsequent trends would depend on downstream cell price movements.

SEG Solar is accelerating its vertical integration with a 5 GW ingot and wafer facility in Indonesia, with Phase II construction set for Q2 2026. Once operational, the site will complete an end-to-end manufacturing chain encompassing ingots, wafers, cells, and modules. Founded in 2021, the company has seen rapid growth, reporting cumulative global shipments of over 7.5 GW by the end of 2025. This integrated strategy is designed to provide a fully traceable, non-FEOC supply chain for the evolving global solar market.

As major global technology companies rush to buy memory chips, SK Hynix is being actively courted by these companies, which have proposed plans to invest in its new production lines and finance the purchase of expensive manufacturing equipment. According to six people familiar with the matter, the company's clients have presented multiple partnership proposals to the South Korean chipmaker, including investing in the construction of dedicated memory production lines. Three other people familiar with the matter said another proposal involves clients providing financing for equipment purchases, such as ASML's extreme ultraviolet lithography machines. These machines are used to etch circuits on wafers and are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The chipmaker is reportedly cautious about accepting financial commitments from clients, as such deals could make it beholden to specific buyers and force it to supply chips at lower prices in exchange for longer-term, more stable revenue guarantees.

[Capital-Driven Silicon Metal Prices Trend Stronger After Holiday, Spot Price Center Shifts Upward]: The silicon metal market trended stronger after the Labour Day holiday, with the most-traded futures contract breaking through resistance levels to rise above 9,000 yuan/mt. As of the morning of May 7, SMM east China oxygen-blown #553 silicon was at 9,200-9,300 yuan/mt, up 150 yuan/mt WoW. Futures prices continued to trend stronger after the holiday, and silicon suppliers raised spot offer prices multiple times in small incremental probes, with east China #553 silicon offers rising above 9,300 yuan/mt. In the futures market, the SI2609 contract closed at 9,080 yuan/mt on Thursday, up 285 yuan/mt WoW, with an intraday high touching 9,180 yuan/mt. Low-priced sources in the silicon metal market decreased or disappeared, and the transaction center shifted notably higher compared to pre-holiday levels as just-in-time procurement provided support. This round of strengthening was mainly driven by macro and capital momentum, with no substantive bullish support from the industry fundamentals for the time being. From late April to early May, silicon enterprises increasingly hedged in batches on price rallies and sold against the basis, with cargo ownership gradually shifting to futures-spot traders. After futures were pushed higher, spot liquidity issues tended to emerge easily. While futures remained elevated and fundamentals were weak, rigid demand provided support, and spot prices passively followed the upward trend.