Dalian iron ore futures rose in early trading and pulled back in the afternoon. The most-traded contract, I2605, finally closed at 824 yuan/mt, up 0.55% from the previous trading session. Spot prices rose by about 2-5 yuan from the previous trading day. Traders were relatively active in offering quotes, while steel mills made fewer inquiries and purchased cautiously, with overall transactions in the spot market remaining average. In terms of fundamental data, blast furnace maintenance intensity continued to pull back this week, with maintenance affecting hot metal production by 1.65 million mt, down 206,500 mt WoW. It was expected to decrease by a further 180,000 mt next week to 1.4684 million mt, indicating a gradual improvement on the demand side. In terms of supply, tight supply still persisted in the market, and there was no news of any significant adjustment, which remained supportive for iron ore in the short term. However, some funds, out of concern over downstream risks, tended to stay on the sidelines, and overall wait-and-see sentiment was strong. In summary, iron ore prices were expected to hover at highs in the short term.

JSW Steel reported a 2% year-on-year decline in consolidated crude steel production for February 2026, totaling 2.366 million tonnes. The decrease is primarily attributed to the ongoing temporary shutdown of Blast Furnace 3 at its Vijayanagar facility, which has been offline for capacity modernization since late 2025. Despite the impact of the maintenance work, the company's Indian operations achieved a high capacity utilization rate of 97% when excluding the affected furnace, demonstrating strong underlying operational performance.

As of March 24, titanium dioxide prices continued to rise, with the SMM index up 4.6% since early 2026. Two rounds of price hikes were issued in March amid low inventories. Strong exports and production cuts supported gains, though sustainability post-peak season remains uncertain, hinging on downstream acceptance.

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Price Gains Slowed, and the Chrome Market Operated Steadily] March 23, 2026 News: Quotations for chrome ore and ferrochrome remained unchanged for the time being...

[SMM Daily Chrome Commentary: Production Cuts and Maintenance Tightened Supply, While Elevated Costs May Have Led to Losses] March 19, 2026: Chrome ore prices continued to rise, while ferrochrome quotations remained unchanged...

HRC futures retreated after a rapid rise today, with the most-traded contract closing at 3,313, up 0.21 for the day. In the spot market, prices in most major markets were generally stable with slight fall. Trading was moderate in the morning session, then weakened afterward. In terms of supply, as the Two Sessions ended, production resumed in north China, and the impact from hot-rolled maintenance declined. The impact from hot-rolled maintenance was 314,900 mt this week, down 99,000 mt WoW. The impact from hot-rolled maintenance next week will be 8.06 mt, down 234,300 mt from this week, and pressure on hot-rolled supply gradually rebounded. On the demand side, end-users resumed normal procurement after the holiday, gradually increasing to seasonal levels. On the raw ....

[China Iron Ore Brief Review: Tight Resources in West Liaoning, Local Ore Prices May Edge Up Slightly] The domestic ore market in west Liaoning was relatively stable, with the ex-factory prices of 66-grade iron ore concentrates, wet basis and excluding tax, at 730-740 yuan/mt. Supply and demand were clearly in a wait-and-see mode. Beneficiation plants, considering the relatively small inventory pressure, temporarily held back from selling. Against this backdrop, traders were not highly motivated to make inquiries, and only a few made price inquiries based on their own needs. Affected by safety and environmental protection inspections, mining was restricted, and a small number of operating beneficiation plants suspended production for maintenance due to constraints in ROM resources. Circulating spot resources remained tight, which still provided certain support for ore prices.

HRC futures continued to rise today, with the most-traded contract closing at 3,313, up 0.58 for the day. Spot market, prices in most mainstream markets edged up steadily, while overall trading was average, and wait-and-see sentiment increased after the prolonged run at highs. In terms of supply, as the Two Sessions ended and production resumed in North China, impact from maintenance on hot-rolled products decreased. This week, impact from maintenance on hot-rolled products was 314,900 mt, down 99,000 mt WoW. Next week, the impact from hot-rolled maintenance will be 8.06 mt, down 234,300 mt from this week, and pressure on hot-rolled supply will gradually rebound. Demand side, end-users resumed normal procurement after the....

[SMM Chrome Weekly Review: Steel Tender Prices Rose, and the Market Remained Temporarily Stable] March 20, 2026 News: Quotes for chrome ore and ferrochrome were unchanged for the time being...

According to the latest release from the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics showed that China’s SiMn exports were 2,539.52 mt in January 2026, down 50.55% MoM and down 31.84% YoY. China’s SiMn imports were 0 mt in January 2026, down 100% MoM and down 100% YoY. By import and export regional structure, SiMn exports were mainly destined for Indonesia.