SMM April 20: Metals Market: As of the daytime close, base metals on the domestic market mostly rose, with only SHFE aluminum and SHFE nickel declining. SHFE aluminum fell 1.49% and SHFE nickel fell 0.9%. The rest of the metals rose, with SHFE zinc up 0.69% and the others gaining less than 0.6%. The alumina front-month contract rose 0.43%, while the casting aluminum front-month contract fell 1.31%. Additionally, the lithium carbonate front-month contract rose 2.6%, the silicon metal front-month contract rose 1.05%, and the polysilicon front-month contract hit the daily limit again during intraday trading, closing at 42,955 yuan/mt with a 9% gain. The Europe containerized freight front-month contract rose 0.38% to 2,103.2. Ferrous metals all rose except stainless steel, which fell 0.47%. Hot-rolled coil, rebar, and iron ore all gained over 1% (hot-rolled coil 1.17%, rebar 1.24%, iron ore 1.16%). Coking coal and coke: coking coal rose 2.77% and coke rose 2.27%. Overseas market, as of 15:07, all metals fell except LME nickel, which led the gains with a 1.36% rise. The rest declined, with LME copper leading the losses at 0.63%. Precious metals, as of 15:07, COMEX gold fell 1.5% and COMEX silver fell 2.67%. In China, SHFE gold fell 0.08% and SHFE silver rose 1.34%. Additionally, the platinum front-month contract fell 0.18% and the palladium front-month contract fell 0.18%. Market Data as of 15:07 Today Macro Front China: [NEA: Total Electricity Consumption Reached 2,514.1 billion kWh, Up 5.2% YoY, January-March] The National Energy Administration released March electricity consumption data. From January to March, total electricity consumption reached 2,514.1 billion kWh, up 5.2% YoY. By sector, the primary industry consumed 33.6 billion kWh, up 7.1% YoY. The secondary industry consumed 1,598.7 billion kWh, up 4.7% YoY; of which, industrial electricity consumption was 1,583.6 billion kWh, up 4.9% YoY, and high-tech and equipment manufacturing consumed 274.6 billion kWh, up 8.6% YoY. The tertiary industry consumed 483.3 billion kWh, up 8.1% YoY; of which, EV charging and battery swapping services and internet data services consumed 37.6 billion and 22.9 billion kWh respectively, with growth rates of 53.8% and 44.0%. Urban and rural residential electricity consumption was 398.5 billion kWh, up 3.4% YoY. [April LPR Unchanged: Both 5-Year and 1-Year Rates Held Steady for the Eleventh Consecutive Month] The April LPR was announced: PBOC kept the 1-year and 5-year LPR at 3% and 3.5% respectively, unchanged for the eleventh consecutive month. [Foshan's Commercial Housing "Trade-in" Policy Is Here! First Batch Involves 22 Residential Projects] Recently, the Notice on Organizing the First Batch of Commercial Housing "Trade-in" Program by the Foshan Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau was officially released. This is not merely an encouraging document; it is a solution that systematically clears bottlenecks in housing replacement through model innovation and a policy package. It aims to drive the real estate market's transition from "one-sided transactions" to a "virtuous cycle between existing and new housing stock," achieving a win-win outcome for residents, enterprises, and the market. The innovation of Foshan's trade-in policy lies in bringing multiple real estate enterprises into the program: Foshan Anju, Chancheng Anju, Nanhai Youju, Shunde Chengtie, Gaoming Airport Construction, and Sanshui Anju serve as acquisition entities, while Foshan Chengfa, Foshan Urban Renewal, Foshan Lianzhi, Heyue Yaji, Shunkong Chengtou, Yongdeli Commerce, Sanshui Chanfa, and Miaohui Real Estate provide new housing sources. This model determines the value of existing homes through negotiation, establishes a "contract termination protection period" to avoid blindly pushing for lower prices, thereby completing the "sell old, buy new" closed loop and serving as a market stabilizer. (Foshan Release) US Dollar: As of 15:07, the US dollar index rose 0.03% to 98.26. According to a CITIC Securities research report, US Fed Governor Miran and three other economists recently co-published a working paper titled "A User's Guide to Restructuring the Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet," whose structure bears similarities to the previously widely discussed "A User's Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System." The paper challenges the conventional view that the US Fed cannot significantly reduce its balance sheet, arguing that reserve demand is largely determined by the regulatory environment and that balance sheet reduction can be achieved without causing unexpected market stress by adjusting the regulatory framework, curbing precautionary motives, and addressing other sources of reserve demand. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the paper estimates the potential balance sheet reduction space at $1.2 trillion to $2.1 trillion. We believe the "balance sheet reduction guide" has a certain degree of real-world feasibility, but some options are somewhat idealistic. (Jin10 Data APP) According to the CME "Fed Watch": the probability of the US Fed raising interest rates by 25 basis points in April was 0.5%, while the probability of keeping rates unchanged was 99.5%. The probability of a cumulative interest rate cut of 25 basis points by June was 4.5%, the probability of keeping rates unchanged was 95%, and the probability of a cumulative rate hike of 25 basis points was 0.5%. (Jin10 Data APP) On the macro front: Germany's March PPI month-on-month rate, Canada's March CPI month-on-month rate, and other data were to be released today. Also worth noting: German Chancellor Merz and European Central Bank President Lagarde delivered speeches; Trump said a US delegation would arrive in Islamabad on the evening of the 20th for negotiations, while Iran denied reports of a second round of talks being held in Islamabad. Crude oil: As of 15:07, oil prices in both markets surged, with WTI up 6.42% and Brent up 5.9%. Iran had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, driving oil prices sharply higher. On the 19th local time, an Iraqi oil ministry official said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would block the export of nearly 4 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil over the next three days. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy issued a statement on the 18th saying that, due to the US violating ceasefire commitments and failing to lift the naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels, the Strait of Hormuz would be blocked starting that evening. (CCTV News) Gary Pedersen, head of trading house Gunvor, warned that the oil market was facing more turbulence as Middle East tensions collided with seasonal slowdown in crude oil demand, increasing the likelihood of further sharp and unpredictable fluctuations in crude oil prices. (Jin10 Data) The International Energy Agency forecast that global crude oil demand would decline by 1.5 million barrels per day in Q2, the largest drop since the COVID-19 pandemic. OPEC's forecast was relatively mild, projecting a daily decline of 500,000 barrels. (Jin10 Data) A CICC research report noted that as the Iran situation entered its 7th week, the situation saw a further turning point. Although the first round of peace talks "collapsed," both the US and Iran "announced" the reopening of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which still largely boosted optimistic sentiment in the market, despite subsequent reversals. This was largely in line with our base case assumption: while short-term reversals remain possible, a complete loss of control over the medium term is not the base case scenario, as Trump still has midterm elections to consider, and a comprehensive and uncontrollable escalation serves neither side's interests. Under this scenario, the Brent crude oil price center would gradually pull back to around $80 in Q2 and Q3, and the US Fed could still cut interest rates. (Jin10 Data APP) SMM Daily Review ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

[SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Macro Factors and Fundamentals Resonated, and LME Zinc Logged a Three-Day Winning Streak] Overnight, LME zinc logged a three-day winning streak, with support from the 20-day moving average below and resistance from the 40/60-day moving averages above. Overnight, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East may have de-escalated, the US dollar index moved lower, nonferrous metals rose, and LME zinc inventory continued destocking......

Saudi Finance Minister, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, has cautioned that recent global supply chain disruptions are now exceeding the impact seen after the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that ongoing geopolitical tensions could have wider economic consequences if they continue for an extended period of time. He pointed out that while oil markets often draw the most attention, the pressure is becoming more visible across key industrial sectors such as refined products, fertilisers, steel, aluminium and petrochemicals.

“Gold’s status as a haven may now be tarnished in the eyes of some as the precious metal is falling in price even as war roils the Middle East and financial markets alike, and some may even be tempted to say that the third major bull run in the commodity since 1971 is now over,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

Silver's performance over the past year has been nothing short of spectacular.

On Tuesday this week, the latest survey of fund managers released by Bank of America once again revealed a fact that most people already knew: nearly everyone on Wall Street is currently shorting the US dollar.

At the 2025 SMM (2nd) Global Renewable Metal Industry Chain Summit - Main Forum hosted by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd., Allen Cui, Director of SMM Nonferrous Consulting, shared insights on the topic of "Prospects for the Development of the Global Secondary Metal Industry."

Recently, silver prices have embarked on an upward trend, attracting market attention.

The Trump administration was ambitious in its energy policies. US Treasury Secretary Bentsen once publicly introduced his "3-3-3 Plan," which aimed to increase the real GDP growth rate to 3%, reduce the annual budget deficit from 7% of GDP to 3%, and boost US domestic oil production by 3 million barrels per day (bpd). However, economists and energy experts have warned that Bentsen's goals have little basis in reality. Despite the Trump administration's policies favoring fossil fuels, US oil production is likely to remain flat or decline, as low oil prices make it unprofitable for oil companies. Commodity experts at Standard Chartered Bank predict that US crude oil supply may decline by 158,000 bpd in 2025 and by 183,000 bpd in 2026, ending the growth momentum of the past four years under the Biden administration. Previously, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas noted in a survey that the breakeven point for US shale oil producers is a WTI crude oil price of $65 per barrel. Over the past month, WTI prices have mostly remained below this breakeven point, partly due to the OPEC+ alliance's decision to increase production. What do the data reveal? Standard Chartered Bank analyzed four reasons for its pessimism about US oil production growth from four data dimensions. First, according to the revised monthly data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), US crude oil production reached a record high of 13.488 million bpd in March. However, the average daily increase over these three months was only 30,000 bpd, compared to a growth of 270,000 bpd in 2024. The EIA, which is usually seen as optimistic about production growth, also predicts that US crude oil production will increase slightly from 13.2 million bpd in 2024 to 14 million bpd in 2027, an increase that is only about a quarter of what Bentsen promised. Secondly, according to data from energy company Baker Hughes, the number of US oil rigs has decreased by 41 this year and by 50 on a YoY basis. Part of the decline is due to improvements in drilling technology and processes, but Standard Chartered warns that this downward trend has persisted for 30 months. In addition, the number of frac crews has also plummeted to 186, a significant decline from the 300 crews during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the number of drilled but uncompleted (DUC) wells has also halved from the pandemic peak in June 2020, reaching a low of 4,494 in February this year before stabilizing. The number of frac crews can serve as a supplementary indicator for measuring US shale oil and gas production, while the DUC well count may be a leading indicator of any shifts in completion activity. A decline in the DUC well count suggests that drilling activity is weakening. From a data perspective, it is evident that US energy companies have significantly reduced their investments in drilling to preserve profits and remain accountable to shareholders. The immediate impact of this decision may be a stabilization or decline in US energy production, thereby exerting upward pressure on oil prices.

SMM News on June 11: Metal Market: As of the daytime close, domestic market base metals generally rose, with only SHFE lead declining, by 0.06%. SHFE aluminum and SHFE zinc both rose by over 1%, with SHFE aluminum up 1.25% and SHFE zinc up 1.23%. SHFE tin rose by 0.69%, while the fluctuations in the gains of other metals were relatively small. The main alumina contract closed flat at 2,895 yuan/mt, and the main aluminum casting contract rose by 0.91%. In addition, the main lithium carbonate contract rose by 1.68%, polysilicon rose by 0.72%, and silicon metal rose by 2.23%. The main European container shipping contract fell by 2.1%. In the ferrous metals series, prices rose collectively, with iron ore up 1%, rebar up 0.67%, and HRC up 0.78%. In the coking coal and coke sector, coking coal rose by 1.1%, and coke rose by 1.31%. In the overseas market, as of 15:06, only LME tin declined, by 0.08%, while other metals rose. LME aluminum and LME zinc both rose by over 1%, with LME aluminum up 1.26% and LME zinc up 1.19%. The fluctuations in the gains of other metals were relatively small. In precious metals, as of 15:06, COMEX gold rose by 0.44%, and COMEX silver rose by 0.14%. Domestically, SHFE gold rose by 0.56%, and SHFE silver fell by 0.28%. Market conditions as of 15:06 today 》Click to view SMM Market Dashboard Macro Front Domestic Aspect: [Announcement] The State Council Information Office will hold a press conference at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 13, 2025. Li Yongxia, Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Commerce, and Song Junji, Vice Governor of Shandong Province, will introduce the relevant situation of the 2025 Qingdao Summit for Leaders of Multinational Corporations and answer questions from reporters. [Average Annual Growth Rate of 14.2% Over 25 Years, China-Africa Trade Volume Exceeds 2 Trillion Yuan] On the occasion of the upcoming Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, Hunan Province, data released by the General Administration of Customs on June 11 showed that since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000, the total value of China's imports and exports with Africa has increased from less than 100 billion yuan that year to 2.1 trillion yuan in 2024, representing a cumulative growth of over 20 times and an average annual growth rate of 14.2%, fully demonstrating the strong vitality of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. On the same day, the General Administration of Customs also released the 2024 China-Africa Trade Index, which rapidly climbed from a base value of 100 points in 2000 to a new high of 1,056.53 points in 2024. (Xinhua News Agency) The People's Bank of China conducted 164 billion yuan of 7-day reverse repo operations today, with an operating interest rate of 1.40%, unchanged from the previous rate. As 214.9 billion yuan of 7-day reverse repos matured today, a net withdrawal of 50.9 billion yuan was achieved. ► On June 11, the central parity rate of the RMB exchange rate in the interbank foreign exchange market was set at 7.1815 yuan per US dollar. US dollar: As of 15:06, the US dollar index rose by 0.12% to 99.17. Most economists believe that the US Federal Reserve will remain on hold for at least a few months, as the tariff policies of US President Trump may pose a lingering risk of reigniting inflation. The market will closely monitor the US inflation data to be released later on Wednesday. This report may reflect the economic impact of tariffs on price pressures and could potentially determine the trajectory of the US Fed's monetary policy for the remainder of the year. Macro: The World Bank's "Global Economic Prospects" report, released on Tuesday (June 10), clearly stated that global economic growth in 2025 will be only 2.3%, significantly lower than the pre-COVID-19 average and the lowest non-recessionary growth since the 2008 financial crisis. More concerningly, the average annual growth rate of global GDP is projected to be just 2.5% by 2027, marking the slowest pace since the 1960s. The report attributes this bleak outlook to rising trade barriers and "record-high uncertainty." Nearly 70% of economies worldwide are facing downward revisions to their growth forecasts, including the US, Europe, and several emerging market regions. Ayhan Kose, the World Bank's Deputy Chief Economist, vividly compared the situation in an interview, saying, "Uncertainty is like fog on the runway, hindering investment and dimming the economic outlook." This uncertainty not only weighs on global trade but also exerts significant pressure on consumption, investment, and financial market stability. (Huitong Finance) Today, data to be released include China's year-on-year growth rate of M2 money supply for May (time uncertain between June 11-17), China's year-to-date social financing scale for May (time uncertain between June 11-17), China's year-to-date new RMB loans for May (time uncertain between June 11-17), the US's year-on-year CPI growth rate for May (not seasonally adjusted), the US's year-on-year core CPI growth rate for May (not seasonally adjusted), the US's year-on-year energy CPI growth rate for May (not seasonally adjusted), the US's June IPSOS Primary Consumer Sentiment Index (PCSI), and Australia's ANZ consumer confidence index for the week ending June 8. Additionally, He Lifeng visited the UK from June 8 to 13 and held the first meeting of the China-US Economic and Trade Consultation Mechanism. Crude oil: As of 15:06, oil prices in both markets fell simultaneously, with US crude oil down by 0.11% and Brent crude oil down by 0.18%. According to CCTV News, on the 10th local time, Russian President Putin signed a decree extending countermeasures against the price cap imposed on Russian oil and oil products until December 31, 2025. Earlier, on December 27, 2022, Putin signed a presidential decree prohibiting the supply of Russian oil and oil products to foreign legal entities and individuals that directly or indirectly use a price cap mechanism in their contracts. This decree took effect on February 1, 2023, and its validity has been extended multiple times. As a major oil-producing country in the world, if Russia significantly reduces its oil exports in the future due to Western price caps, it could lead to an increase in energy prices in some EU countries. For some European countries, such sanctions only harm both sides equally; while others believe that the current price cap is not low enough and does not meet their expectations. For example, countries like Greece, Cyprus, and Malta, which rely heavily on the shipping industry, hope to raise the price cap to around $70 per barrel to alleviate the pressure on local enterprises. However, this is completely opposite to the views of Poland and the Baltic states, where some officials have even proposed setting the cap at $20 per barrel. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, on the other hand, has called for a price cap of no more than $30 per barrel. The EIA released its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook report, significantly raising its forecast for the crude oil market surplus in 2025. Its data shows that global oil inventories increased in the first five months of this year and will continue to grow significantly during the forecast period. The EIA expects global oil inventories to increase by an average of 8,000 barrels per day in 2025, which is 4,000 barrels per day higher than last month's forecast. The reason for the upward revision in the supply surplus forecast is the decline in oil demand from OECD countries in 2025, as well as the increase in supply growth from OPEC countries and non-OPEC countries. Additionally, the EIA emphasized that while no major supply disruptions are expected, oil supply risks still exist. From the inventory perspective, API data released early in the morning showed that US crude oil inventories decreased by 370,000 barrels in the week ending June 6. Although crude oil inventories have declined, the 370,000-barrel drop is far below analysts' expectations of 2 million barrels. More concerning is the continuous increase in refined product inventories, with gasoline inventories rising by 3 million barrels and distillate inventories increasing by 3.7 million barrels in the same week. Analysts had previously forecast that distillate inventories would increase by about 800,000 barrels and gasoline inventories by 900,000 barrels last week. The continued significant inventory buildup of gasoline and diesel in the US, exceeding expectations, has exerted downward pressure on oil prices. (Wenhua Comprehensive) SMM Daily Review ► Rare Earth Prices Decline Slightly, Transactions Remain Stagnant [SMM Rare Earth Daily Review] ► As Delivery Approaches, Spot-Futures Price Spread Narrows, Spot Market Transactions Remain Sluggish [SMM Daily Review]