Dear Users, Greetings! Against the backdrop of profound changes in the global chromium resource landscape, to better serve participants in the chromium industry chain and facilitate connectivity in the global chromium market, SMM has launched the "Global Ferrochrome Supply-Demand Balance" and "Global Chromium Ore Supply-Demand Balance" datasets after extensive groundwork and market research. The datasets date back to 2020, with annual updates for the previous year and forecasts for the current year released on March 1st each year. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your long-standing trust and support for SMM's data services. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. SMM Nickel Research Team January 9, 2026

In recent years, Guinea has played a pivotal role in the global bauxite market, standing as the world's largest bauxite producer. In 2024, the country exported 1.23 billion tons of bauxite, with approximately 90% destined for China, making it the most critical source of bauxite imports for China. The remainder was exported to regions such as India (3%) and Europe (1%). Against the backdrop of tight shipping capacity and the significant impact of freight and bunker adjustment costs on landed costs, SMM is responding to the strong focus from industry chain participants on FOB prices for Guinean bauxite. To more accurately reflect the intrinsic value of bauxite and refocus market attention from CIF prices (which include freight) to FOB prices themselves, SMM has decided to： Commencing November 7, 2025, SMM will officially launch one new price: Guinea Bauxite FOB (Al2O3: 45%, SiO2: 3%, FOB Guinea, $/dmt) Details of this price point are as follows: Shanghai Metals Market Aluminum Research Departmen 6th November, 2025

SMM will update its Alumina Monthly Cost Model from January 2026, incorporating VAT into bauxite costs and discontinuing certain regional indicators.