Based on current production conditions and in line with prevailing market demand, mainstream steel mills in Fujian (such as Sansteel MinGuang, Fujian Sanbao, Fujian Dadonghai, Wuhang, and Fujian Hongfeng) successively adjusted the price spread between size groups for construction steel starting March 17.

On March 18, the SMM average price of battery-grade nickel sulphate remained unchanged.

On March 12, 2026, the UK Trade Remedies Authority issued a notice announcing its affirmative final anti-dumping determination on tinplate (Tin Mill Products) originating in China. It determined that Shougang Group had a dumping margin of 27.85, an injury margin of 62.39, and an anti-dumping duty of 27.85; other exporters had a dumping margin of 49.98, an injury margin of 88.00, and an anti-dumping duty of 49.98. It recommended imposing anti-dumping duties on the products concerned from China for a period of five years. The UK HS codes of the products concerned are 7210 11 00 10, 7210 11 00 90, 7210 12 20 10, 7210 12 20 90, 7210 12 80 10, 7210 12 80 90, 7210 50 00 10, 7210 50 00 90, 7210 70 10 15, 7210 70 10 91, 7210 70 80 20, 7210 70 80 25, 7210 70 80 92, 7210 70 80 95, 7210 90 30 00, 7210 90 40 10, 7210 90 40 90, 7210 90 80 20, 7210 90 80 91, 7210 90 80 99, 7212 10 10 00, 7212 10 90 11, 7212 10 90 19, 7212 10 90 90, 7212 30 00 20, 7212 30 00 30, 7212 30 00 80, 7212 40 20 10, 7212 40 20 91, 7212 40 20 93, 7212 40 20 99, 7212 40 80 12, 7212 40 80 15, 7212 40 80 30, 7212 40 80 35, 7212 40 80 80, 7212 40 80 82, 7212 40 80 85, 7212 40 80 87, 7212 50 20 11, 7212 50 20 19, and 7212 50 20 90. The dumping investigation period was from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, and the injury investigation period was from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2024. On September 25, 2024, the UK Trade Remedies Authority issued a notice announcing the initiation of an anti-dumping investigation into tinplate originating in China, upon an application filed by UK enterprise TATA STEEL UKLIMITED. (Compiled and translated from the official website of the UK Trade Remedies Service) Original text: https://www.trade-remedies.service.gov.uk/public/case/AD0062/submission/034ccc6a-89ce-4ac3-bcd5-26464f3fc5be/

On March 11, Pan Xueyuan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Yangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Executive Vice Mayor of Yangzhou, led a team to Yizheng Economic and Technological Development Zone to survey the construction progress of the CIMC Green Hydrogen Zero-Carbon Equipment Industrial Park, a key provincial project in Jiangsu. He inspected the construction progress on site, inquired about the construction plan, key challenges, and industrial layout, and required that the leading role of chain-leading hydrogen energy enterprises be fully leveraged to coordinate efforts to bring the project into operation and deliver results at an early date. Meng Dehe, Secretary of the Yizheng Municipal Party Committee, and Yu Lei, Executive Vice Mayor, accompanied the visit, while Li Jie, General Manager of CIMC Jidian and CIMC Zhongdian, and his delegation reported on the work. In front of the project planning display board, Pan Xueyuan focused on learning about the industrial park’s product layout. The project covered a total area of 150 mu, with plant space of approximately 60,000 m², and included a 15-mu supporting detection and R&D testing base. After reaching full production, it was expected to produce 2 GW of electrolyzers and hydrogen-ammonia-methanol series equipment annually. With the goal of becoming a nationally leading supplier of hydrogen-based energy equipment, the enterprise laid out the full value chain of alkaline, PEM, and AEM electrolyzers, skid-mounted hydrogen production plants, and green ammonia and green methanol equipment, which Pan Xueyuan highly affirmed. As a chain-leading enterprise in the hydrogen energy industry chain at both the provincial and municipal levels, CIMC Zhongdian will join hands with CIMC Raffles Group to integrate industry resources and build a green hydrogen equipment industry chain. Next, with the support of the local government, the enterprise will build “two centers and two platforms,” continue to lead industry innovation, and support the high-quality development of the green hydrogen industry in Yizheng and Yangzhou as a whole.

[SMM Tin Midday Commentary: Under Macro Pressure, SHFE Tin Contracts Fell to 366,000, and Trading in the Spot Market Was Relatively Active]

SMM News, March 18: Overnight, LME lead opened at $1,922.5/mt. In early trading, LME lead fell rapidly to a low of $1,913/mt. During the Asian session, LME lead fluctuated upward, reaching a high of $1,932/mt, after which bears regained control and SHFE lead turned downward. Entering the European session, LME lead dropped sharply before beginning to rebound in fluctuations, with prices posting wide swings in the $1,921-1,931/mt range. It finally closed at $1,926/mt, up $1/mt, or 0.05%. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE lead 2604 contract opened at 16,635 yuan/mt. In early trading, SHFE lead edged up to a high of 16,685 yuan/mt, then came under pressure and pulled back to a low of 16,595 yuan/mt. SHFE lead showed a sideways movement overall during the night session, with prices posting wide swings in the 16,620-16,685 yuan/mt range from intraday to the close, and finally closing at 16,670 yuan/mt. It recorded a small bullish candlestick, up 70 yuan/mt, or 0.42%. At present, inventory at primary lead smelters continued to decline, while suppliers held firm on quotes and showed a clear reluctance to sell. Losses at secondary lead enterprises widened, and most producers adopted a wait-and-see attitude and were reluctant to sell, leading to some tightening in overall effective market supply. After restocking at low levels, downstream battery plants slowed their procurement pace, and downstream demand remained weak. The overall pattern of weak supply and weak demand persisted. Lead prices are expected to remain in the doldrums in the short term. Subsequent price moves require close attention to geopolitical factors, changes in operating rates at secondary lead enterprises in mid-to-late March, and actual downstream procurement conditions.

[Geopolitical Tensions Combined With Deferred Interest Rate Cut Expectations Leave SHFE Aluminum Under Short-Term Pressure but Fluctuating at Highs] Against the backdrop of continued tightening LME liquidity, LME aluminum still has upward momentum, with strong support from prices outside China, and is expected to maintain a backwardation structure in the short term. China remains in a phase of high inventory coupled with weak fundamentals, and its upward momentum is significantly weaker than that outside China. Amid divergent domestic and external drivers, the SHFE/LME price ratio is expected to continue weakening, and aluminum prices are still expected to fluctuate at highs in the short term.

On March 17, the SMM average price of battery-grade nickel sulphate remained unchanged.

Solid-state batteries were a hot topic at the 2026 Two Sessions, where delegates noted that the industry is at a critical inflection point, moving from “samples” to “products.”

March 13 (Reuters) - Gold was on track for a second straight weekly loss, even as it edged higher on Friday, as surging oil prices dampened rate cut bets and caused investors to cover margin calls, while a rising dollar and U.S. yields also pressured prices.