According to SMM statistics, China's aluminum billet inventory: Guangdong's aluminum billet inventory stood at 40,000 mt, Wuxi's at 48,000 mt, totaling 88,000 mt, a decrease of 1,000 mt from the previous day.

According to SMM statistics, as of June 18, China's aluminum ingot inventory in major consumption areas stood at 1.255 million mt, down 35,000 mt from Monday and down 57,000 mt WoW.

The Singapore International Ferrous Week (SIFW) 2026 officially kicked off on June 16, 2026. Logan Lu, CEO of Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), attended the opening ceremony as a distinguished guest. Co-hosted by SGX and Green Esteel with support from Enterprise Singapore, the event runs from June 15 to June 19. Its core summit, Singapore Iron & Steel Conference, attracted over 350+ participants including miners and steel mills from Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, serving as Southeast Asia’s flagship ferrous industry exchange platform. SGX CEO Loh Boon Chye delivered a keynote, highlighting trends in iron ore pricing mechanisms and financialization. He noted that physical trade evolution calls for diversified, differentiated pricing benchmarks to streamline risk management. Iron ore has grown into a mainstream investable commodity, included in major global indices; SGX has partnered with SummerHaven to launch tradable iron ore products. Leveraging strengths in physical trade, shipping, financing and risk hedging, Singapore acts as a neutral global commodity hub, the core rationale behind SIFW. Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry Alvin Tan likened geopolitical and economic headwinds to kryptonite weighing on the sector, yet underscored steel’s strong resilience. He outlined four growth pillars: tapping robust Asian steel demand led by Southeast Asia and India; utilizing Singapore’s full industrial and financial ecosystem for supply chain and price risk management; advancing AI and digitalization to boost operational efficiency; and accelerating low-carbon steel and maritime decarbonization amid tightening global carbon regulations. The Singapore New Energy Metals & Materials Forum , co-organized by Green Esteel and SMM , was launched alongside this event with the goal to advance low-carbon metal collaboration. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General of the ASEAN Economic Community, delivered the opening remarks for the forum, focusing on the industry resilience of the global ferrous metals sector amid multiple challenges and echoing the four development strategy recommendations mentioned above: deepening engagement in Asia, basing in Singapore, technology enablement, and green transformation. He also highlighted Singapore’s positioning as a commodities trading hub, as well as local supporting measures for industrial digitalization and the low-carbon transition. On the same day, Logan Lu arranged two important opening events. At 10:30 a.m., he also attended the opening of the inaugural Singapore New Energy Metals & Materials Forum, co-hosted by Green Esteel and SMM, and engaged in in-depth exchanges with enterprises across the industry chain in and outside China on core topics such as ferrous metals, the global supply chain layout for new energy metals, and the industry’s green and low-carbon transformation. The Singapore New Energy Metals & Materials Forum represents a strategic extension into the fast-growing track of new energy metals and new materials. The forum adopts an integrated “Forum + Exhibition” model, bringing together global industry leaders, policy researchers, investment institutions, traders, and technology R&D and manufacturing producers to jointly assess the industry’s future development direction. As the global energy transition continues to accelerate, new energy metals and high-end new materials are a critical foundation for the low-carbon economy and the development of renewable energy. Coupled with multiple variables such as changes in the geopolitical environment, the restructuring of critical minerals supply chains, and adjustments to the global trade system, the industry is facing new opportunities and challenges. Centered on six major themes—global macro economy, supply and demand for critical metals, industry chain integration, supply chain resilience, industry investment, and breakthroughs in new materials technologies—the forum promotes global resource matching and strategic cooperation across the new energy metals industry chain through keynote speeches, panel discussions, business matchmaking, and industry exhibitions, thereby driving the industry’s sustainable development.

During the week of June 12-18, the operating rate of enamelled wire industry machines rebounded WoW...

LME nickel futures rose for a fourth consecutive session, rebounding toward US$18,000/ton. Growing expectations of a Middle East peace accord pushed oil prices to a three-month low, easing global inflation concerns and weakening the US dollar, lifting nickel to a weekly high. Fed rate hold expectations for this month added further support, paring some of June's earlier losses. LME nickel inventories rose 942 tons to around 27.5mt. However, sluggish seasonal demand and elevated stockpiles exceeding 270,000 tons cap near-term upside, pointing to a volatile, range-bound outlook in the short term.

Chinese Taiwan's stainless steel leader Yusco reported consolidated revenue of NT$3.69 billion for May, up 37.3% YoY and 21.6% MoM, its highest level since November last year, driven by seven consecutive months of stainless steel price increases. Cumulative revenue for the first five months reached NT$14.95 billion, still down 7.8% YoY. Supported by overall market improvement and elevated raw material costs, Yusco raised June prices for its benchmark 304 hot-rolled and cold-rolled coils by NT$2,000/ton, bringing the two-month cumulative increase to NT$6,000/ton. Downstream inventory replenishment activity continues to strengthen full-year business prospects.

Chinese Taiwan's stainless steel sector showed a broad recovery in May, with export volumes rising 22% MoM to a yearly high of approximately 77,000 tons while export pricing climbed to its highest level in over a year, confirming international buyers' acceptance of consecutive stainless steel mill price hikes. Incoming shipments fell below recent monthly thresholds, easing market disruption from cheap foreign materials. The turnaround marks an end to a prolonged industry downturn dating back to 2023. With seven consecutive months of domestic price increases and strengthening global demand, markets are expecting a substantial improvement in corporate earnings ahead.

Walsin Lihwa expects Q2 earnings to substantially surpass Q1, with over NT$3.5 billion in gains from selling shares of Winbond and Walton Advanced Engineering set to be recognized in the quarter, contributing more than NT$0.8 per share. Q1 net profit reached NT$3.58 billion, up 428% YoY at NT$0.81 per share. May revenue rose 12.4% MoM to a one-year high of NT$17.46 billion (+11.13% YoY), driven by seven consecutive months of stainless steel price hikes including a NT$3,000/ton increase for 304 wire rods in June. Separately, rising international copper and nickel prices combined with heavy foreign investment drove the company's stock to its NT$37.7 daily limit last Friday (June 12).

According to SMM statistics, on June 18, the aluminum billet inventory in China's major consumption areas stood at 145,500 mt, down 5,500 mt from Monday and down 9,000 mt from last Thursday.

[Destocking Logic Continues to Materialize, Macro Pressure Caps Aluminum Price Upside] SMM maintains its forecast that inventory will fall to around 1.28 million mt by late June, and is expected to further approach 1.2 million mt by end‑June/early July, providing some support for aluminum prices. However, China’s high inventory pressure remains relatively evident, and with the current bearish macro sentiment dominating the market, domestic aluminum prices will mainly fluctuate in consolidation in the short term.