Dear Customer, To keep pace with the rapid development of the recycled copper raw materials industry and meet the market's demand for in-depth analysis of the recycling industry and the supply-demand pattern of copper cathode, our company has conducted a comprehensive optimization of the data model. We are now systematically upgrading and adjusting the standards and content of China's monthly supply-demand balance data for recycled copper raw materials, with the following treatment applied to historical data: I. Adjustments This upgrade primarily optimizes and updates the following indicators in the balance table: "Supply of Old Scrap from Recycled Copper Raw Materials," "Supply of New Scrap from Recycled Copper Raw Materials," "Processing Volume of Recycled Copper Raw Materials," and "Smelting Volume of Recycled Copper Raw Materials." (Data modification path: Database > Copper > SMM Recycled Copper > Monthly Supply-Demand Balance Table for Copper Scrap) II. Historical Data Treatment Historical monthly supply-demand balance data for recycled copper raw materials will no longer be updated starting from September 2025. Subsequent data will be uniformly released under the new standard, with the revised data retroactively applied from January 2025. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the SMM Customer Service Team. Thank you for your continued support and trust! IV. Effective Date Effective from January 1, 2026 SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. SMM Copper Research Team Liang Kaihui 86-21-5159-5826 December 19, 2025
DataDec 20, 2025 00:25In recent years, with the steady development of Malaysia's manufacturing and stainless steel processing industries, the local stainless steel scrap recycling system has become increasingly mature. The number of recyclers, sorting facilities, and reprocessing enterprises has grown significantly, and the proportion of locally recycled scrap in the circular economy continues to rise, providing strong support for regional stainless steel raw material supply. Meanwhile, Malaysia has become one of the main sources of stainless steel scrap imported by India. According to trade statistics, Malaysia exported approximately 107,000 tons of stainless steel scrap to India in 2024, reflecting strong linkage between the two countries in raw material recycling. Large domestic recycling and processing enterprises possess advanced sorting and reprocessing capabilities, enabling them to classify and process regional scrap and steadily supply high-quality materials to major Asian stainless steel producers in Japan, South Korea, and elsewhere. Against the backdrop of a diversified regional raw material structure and growing value of recycled resources, Malaysia's domestic ex-works stainless steel scrap prices have become an important reference indicator for the Southeast Asian stainless steel industry. To meet market demand, enhance price transparency, and help industry participants stay informed of regional price trends, SMM announces that effective October 30, 2025 , it will officially launch: Malaysia 304 SS Scrap,Ex-works Malaysia,USD/tonne Price specifications: Description: Malaysia 304 SS Scrap,Ex-works Malaysia,USD/tonne Quality: Commercial practice standard. Approx. Ni 8%, Cr 18%, non-magnetic, clean scrap, free from oil, coating, and visible impurities. No radioactive or hazardous waste. Definition: Ex-works Malaysia Unit: USD/tonne Quantity: Minimum 10 tonnes Timing: Prompt Publication: 11:30 a.m. Kuala Lumpur time Payment Terms: Cash on same day,other payment terms normalized SMM Nickel & Stainless Steel Industry Research Department October 29, 2025
PriceOct 29, 2025 13:30Dear User, Greetings! With the rapid development and continuous technological iterations in the solid-state battery industry, solid-state batteries have garnered increasing attention. As indispensable key materials for solid-state batteries, the market demand for sulfide electrolytes and oxide electrolytes is also surging accordingly. The quality of pentaphosphorus pentasulfide and lithium bromide, important raw materials for sulfide electrolytes, plays a significant role in influencing sulfide electrolytes. In the realm of oxide electrolytes, the application status of LLZO (lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide) in the semi-solid and solid-state battery markets is gradually rising. SMM is committed to supporting upstream and downstream enterprises in the solid-state battery industry chain, helping them gain comprehensive insights into the market dynamics of solid-state battery electrolytes. By providing real-time and accurate spot cargo and price information, we assist enterprises in effectively reducing risks and costs in market transactions, enhancing their core competitiveness and market adaptability. Simultaneously, SMM actively delves into research on the solid-state battery industry chain, striving to build a more transparent, fair, and efficient market environment for the industry through deepened industry analysis and continuous improvement of the knowledge system. After a period of consolidation and market surveys, SMM plans to introduce two important raw materials for sulfide electrolytes in solid-state batteries—pentaphosphorus pentasulfide and lithium bromide—along with a new price point for oxide electrolyte LLZO, starting from January 28. Details are as follows: Pentaphosphorus pentasulfide: P2S5 content ≥99.9%, Lithium bromide: LiBr content ≥99.9% Oxide electrolyte LLZO: powder, D50 ≤1μm. Price note: The above three product price points are all delivery-to-factory prices, inclusive of 13% VAT. Shanghai Metals Market New Energy Research Team January 24, 2026
PriceJan 24, 2026 22:26Dear Industry Peers, Hello! Electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) is a key raw material for manufacturing products such as stainless steel, specialty alloys, and battery materials. Europe, as a major global hub for stainless steel production, high-end manufacturing, and the new energy industry, is also one of the core consumer markets for EMM. Its price dynamics significantly influence the global market structure and pricing. Based on Rotterdam’s status as Europe’s largest port, which aggregates raw materials from major production regions worldwide and facilitates the circulation of spot cargo within the region, it has developed a mature storage, logistics, and trading network. The prices there accurately reflect the arrival costs in the European market, the supply-demand balance, and regional premiums, providing market participants with a critical benchmark for price reference. To proactively address market shifts, meet the pressing need for price discovery of Rotterdam warehouse electrolytic manganese metal, and enhance market transparency, SMM has decided: Commencing December 23, 2025, SMM will officially launch a new price: SMM Electrolytic Manganese Metal, in-whs Rotterdam, USD/mt Details of this price point are as follows: Description:SMM Electrolytic Manganese Metal, in-whs Rotterdam, USD/mt Quality:Mn99.7% Quantity:Minimum 25 tonnes Definition: In-warehouse Rotterdam,duty-unpaid, customs uncleared Brand Listing:Tianyuan Manganese Industry, CITIC Dameng, Wuling Manganese Industry,etc Timing:1Months Unit:USD/mt Payment Terms:Cash, other payment terms normalized Pulication:Daily, by 11am Beijing Time (i.e., before 4:00 AM London Summer Time before 3:00 AM London Winter Time) SMM Nickel Industry Research Departmen December 16, 2025
PriceDec 16, 2025 16:06Dear User, Greetings! With the deep restructuring of the new energy industry chain, the strategic position of sulfur, a traditional bulk raw material, is undergoing a fundamental transformation. To better align with global industry development trends, SMM now officially releases monthly data on Indonesia's sulfur imports and exports . The data series begins in January 2025 and will be updated on the seventh working day of each month with figures for the month two months prior. Thank you for your continued trust and support in SMM's data services. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. SMM Nickel Industry Research Department January 9, 2026
DataJan 9, 2026 13:30Dear Useres, With the deep reshaping of the new energy industry chain, the strategic position of sulphur, a traditional bulk raw material, is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Historically, price fluctuations in sulphur-sulphuric acid primarily affected traditional industries such as phosphate fertilisers and titanium dioxide. However, as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) has become the mainstream cathode material for power batteries, the production of its core precursor, iron phosphate, heavily relies on high-purity phosphoric acid, which in turn uses sulphuric acid as its raw material. This enables price fluctuations in the sulphur-sulphuric acid chain to be directly and rapidly transmitted to the cost of LFP. Similarly, in areas such as nickel-cobalt smelting and precursor preparation, sulphuric acid is a key auxiliary material, and its price directly impacts the cost of products like battery-grade nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate. The emergence of new demands: Sulphur itself, as a key sulphur source for lithium sulphide and sulphide solid-state electrolytes (such as LPSC), is seeing its material purity and supply stability begin to attract attention from cutting-edge battery technology R&D. As an authoritative information institution long dedicated to the non-ferrous metals and new energy materials sectors, SMM, after a period of consolidation and market surveys, plans to introduce new sulphur price points starting December 12, aiming to provide the market with more precise pricing anchors and price references. The specific new price points are as follows: Sulphur: Solid, Sulphur (S) content ≥99.0%, Price Description: Ex-factory price (buyer's self pick-up price), including 13% VAT. SMM New Energy Research Team December 04, 2025 Sulphur Price
PriceDec 15, 2025 10:18Dear User, Currently, lithium carbonate prices are experiencing significant fluctuations, leading to markedly increased cost volatility for lithium metal, for which lithium carbonate serves as the primary raw material. To more promptly and accurately reflect market conditions for lithium metal, SMM plans to increase the publication frequency of prices for both industrial-grade lithium metal and battery-grade lithium metal from weekly updates to daily updates . The updates will be released at 12:00 PM Beijing Time on each working day for market reference: 1. Battery-grade lithium metal, Specification: Li≥99.9% 2. Industrial-grade lithium metal, Specification: Li≥99% We welcome more relevant enterprises across the industry chain to participate and support SMM in better serving new energy industry chain-related companies. Wang Cong 021-51666838 wangcong@smm.cn Feng Disheng 021-51666714 fengdisheng@smm.cn Wang Zihan 021-51666914 wangzihan@smm.cn Zhang Jing 021-51666878 faithzhang@smm.cn SMM New Energy Research Team January 8, 2026
PriceJan 8, 2026 16:47Dear Customers, In recent years, the development of emerging sectors has driven up the demand for chromium metal. As a key raw material for chromium metal, the price of chromium oxide green has witnessed significant fluctuations. To more accurately and effectively reflect the market trend changes of the domestic chromium industry chain, better serve customers in the chromium industry chain, reduce corporate transaction risks and costs, and enhance the reference value of quoted prices, after a period of in-depth research and market investigation, SMM intends to newly release the " chromium oxide green " price point starting from December 31 for market reference. Details of the price point are as follows: Price Name : Chrome Oxide Green, Ex-works China, Yuan/tonne Quality : Cr2O3 min 99% Definition : Ex-works China Unit : yuan/tonne Brand Listing : CITIC Jinzhou Metal, Zhenhua Chemical, Sichuan Yinhe Chemical, etc. Quantity : Minimum 10 tonnes Timing : Within 30 days Publication : Daily, by 11:30am Beijing Time Payment Terms : Cash, other payment terms normalized SMM Nickel Research Team December 26, 2025
PriceDec 26, 2025 14:33Dear users, On August 29, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China jointly issued the "Secondary Lead Ingot (GB/T 21181-2025)" (hereinafter referred to as the "new national standard"), which will officially take effect on March 1, 2026. Compared to the "Secondary Lead and Lead Alloy Ingot (GB/T 21181-2017)" (hereinafter referred to as the "old national standard"), the new national standard revised the scope. It changed from "This standard applies to secondary lead and its alloy ingots produced by smelting and processing using lead-containing scrap as raw material, mainly used in batteries, alloys, chemical industry, and other fields" to "This document applies to secondary lead ingots produced by pyrometallurgical smelting and processing using waste lead-acid batteries and recycled lead and lead alloy materials as raw materials, mainly used in lead-acid batteries, alloys, chemical industry, and other fields." Regarding secondary lead grades, the ZSPb99.994 and ZSPb99.992 secondary lead ingot grades were deleted the ZSPb99.990, ZSPb99.986, and ZSPb99.983 secondary lead ingot grades were added. Details are as follows: With the development and changes in the secondary lead industry, the actual production and use of secondary lead in the market in recent years have already diverged significantly from the old national standard. In addition to changes in the main element lead content, the bismuth (Bi) content has also undergone substantial changes. According to SMM's understanding of major producers and users of secondary lead, the distribution by bismuth content usage is as follows: enterprises using bismuth content ≤0.008% account for about 15% those using ≤0.012% account for about 60% and those using ≤0.015% account for about 25%. Furthermore, based on its price assessment methodology, SMM solicited market suggestions on the specifications for the secondary refined lead price. Market feedback recommended that the price collection standard for SMM's secondary refined lead price reference the new national standard for secondary lead, with grade ZSPb99.99 accounting for 24%, grade ZSPb99.986 for 66%, and grade ZSPb99.983 for 10%. Considering that the current actual usage in the secondary lead market covers the three grades specified in the new national standard for secondary lead, SMM will define the specifications for the national and regional prices of secondary refined lead as ZSPb99.983-99.99%, based on real market transaction conditions. The new standard will be officially implemented from January 1, 2026, serving as the reference standard for SMM's price assessments. During this period, SMM will continue to collect suggestions and feedback from all parties, closely follow changes in the lead industry chain market, and identify and optimize SMM prices to better serve the industry! For any questions regarding prices, please contact lead analyst Wenming Xia at 021-51666839. SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. Lead and Zinc Research Division December 25, 2025
PriceDec 25, 2025 09:41Dear users, As the core raw material for the steel industry, the price fluctuations of iron ore directly determine the cost and profit stability of the steel industry chain. In recent years, the endowment of global iron ore resources has shown significant changes, with the proportion of high-grade ore production continuously declining. To actively respond to market changes, enhance the guiding significance of the index for the Spot Market, and improve market information transparency, SMM has decided to launch the "MMI 61% Iron Ore Port Stock Index (IOPI)" and the "MMI 61% Iron Ore Seaborne Index (IOSI)" from 5th January 2026. The specific price point details are as follows: Index Price Point: MMI 61% Iron Ore Port Stock Index (IOPI) Quality specifications: Fe content base 61%, aluminum base 2.5%, silica base 4.5%, phosphorus base 0.1%, sulfur base 0.02%, Moisture base 8% Definition: FOT Qingdao Port, VAT included. Normalized for any Chinese Port. Unit: RMB/wet tonnes Quantity: min 5,000 tonnes Timing: within 1 week Payment Terms: Payment at sight Publication: Working Day, 6 PM Beijing Time Index Price Point: MMI 61% Iron Ore Seaborne Index (IOSI) Quality specifications: Fe content base 61%, aluminum base 2.5%, silica base 4.5%, phosphorus base 0.1%, sulfur base 0.02%, Moisture base 8% Definition: CFR Qingdao Port. Normalized for any Chinese Port. Unit: USD/dry tonnes Quantity: min 50,000 tonnes Timing: within 2 months Payment Terms: L/C or payment at sight Publication: Working Day, 6 PM Beijing Time SMM Iron Ore Research January 5, 2026
PriceJan 5, 2026 14:18