SMM June 6 News: Metals Market: Overnight, base metals across both domestic and overseas markets fell collectively. In the domestic market, SHFE tin led the decline with a drop of 5.27%, while LME tin fell 4.92%, LME copper fell 2.78%, and LME aluminum, LME zinc, and SHFE copper all fell over 1% (LME aluminum fell 1.84%, LME zinc fell 1.52%, and SHFE copper fell 1.84%). The declines for the remaining metals were within 1%. Alumina main contract rose 0.65%, and cast aluminum main contract fell 0.61%. Overnight, ferrous metals generally rose, with only stainless steel falling by 0.14%. All other metals rose, with hot-rolled coil and rebar up around 0.4% (hot-rolled coil rose 0.47% and rebar rose 0.44%). For coking coal and coke, coking coal rose 1.73%, and coke rose 0.15%. In precious metals, overnight COMEX gold fell 3.35%, posting a weekly decline of 5.21%. COMEX silver tumbled 8.08%, with a weekly decline of 10.39%, recording a fourth consecutive weekly decline. Domestically, SHFE gold fell 2.93%, with a weekly decline of 0.66%, and SHFE silver fell 7.43%, with a weekly decline of 3.72%. The US once again recorded strong job growth in May, raising concerns about a possible interest rate hike later this year. As of 8:27 on June 5, overnight closing prices: Macro Front [Foreign Ministry Introduces Arrangements for General Secretary Xi Jinping's Visit to North Korea] At the invitation of Kim Jong Un, State Affairs Commission Chairman of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of the People's Republic of China, will pay a state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from June 8 to 9. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference on the 5th that this visit marks General Secretary Xi Jinping's first state visit to North Korea in seven years. During the visit, the top leaders of the two parties and two countries will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Kim Jong Un, the traditional friendly and cooperative relationship between China and North Korea has maintained sustained, healthy, and stable development, bringing tangible benefits to both countries and their peoples. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. Both sides will take this visit as an opportunity to push China-North Korea relations for greater development while advancing with the times, enhancing the well-being of the two peoples, and making greater contributions to regional and even global peace, stability, development, and prosperity. (Xinhua News Agency) China: Premier Li Qiang chaired a State Council Executive Meeting on June 5. The meeting pointed out that, based on the characteristics of future industries, it is necessary to further strengthen forward-looking layout and intensify promotion efforts to firmly grasp the initiative in development. Efforts must be made to solidify the technological foundation by continuously increasing investment in basic research and systematically deploying original and disruptive technological breakthroughs. Emphasis should be placed on ecosystem building by promoting the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application, encouraging close cooperation along the industry chain, and cultivating more startups and unicorn enterprises in key tracks. [Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Seeks Public Comments on Regulations on the Management of Housing Provident Fund (Revised Draft for Comments)] The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued a notice to solicit public comments on the Regulations on the Management of Housing Provident Fund (Revised Draft for Comments). Employees may withdraw the stored balance in their housing provident fund accounts under any of the following circumstances: (1) paying rent; (2) purchasing, constructing, renovating, or overhauling self-occupied housing; (3) repaying principal and interest on home purchase loans; (4) decorating self-occupied housing up to a specified limit; (5) paying property management fees for self-occupied housing; (6) retiring or resigning; (7) completely losing work capacity and terminating the employment (personnel) relationship with the employer; (8) emigrating and settling abroad; (9) other housing consumption circumstances approved by the State Council. (Wall Street CN) The Ministry of Transport and ten other departments issued the Three-Year Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of Mini- and Small-Sized Passenger Car Rental (2026–2028). The plan proposes accelerating the construction of EV charging facilities in highway service areas, with 30,000 new or upgraded EV charging facilities (charging guns) with power above 60 kW to be completed in highway service areas (including rest areas) by the end of 2028. US Dollar: As of the overnight close, the US dollar index rose 0.62% to 100.07, following data that showed strong US job performance in May. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that non-farm payrolls rose by 172,000 in May, with jobs data for the previous two months revised upward. The average job growth over the last three months marked the best performance in over two years, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, with labour market resilience far exceeding overall market expectations. "Fed mouthpiece" Nick Timiraos noted that the re-acceleration of hiring this spring will provide further ammunition for Fed officials concerned about inflation and believing current interest rates are too low to suppress a new round of price pressures. Some officials have recently hinted that the Fed should be prepared to raise interest rates later this year, at least clawing back part of the three 25-basis-point rate cuts implemented in H2 last year. Those cuts were made to stabilize the labour market, which now looks much healthier than it did then. This jobs report won't entirely settle the debate over how much the Fed should consider raising rates later this year, but it further illustrates that the case for cutting rates in the near term has largely evaporated. The stronger argument for rate hikes currently stems from the inflation outlook. Multiple overlapping shocks, including AI infrastructure buildout, tariffs, and energy, could keep inflation persistently well above the Fed's 2% target, even if progress is made toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. If the Fed stays on hold while inflation rises, real inflation-adjusted rates would decline. Even if the labour market isn't the main driver, this mechanism could become a key factor fueling debate over rate hikes. (Jin10 Data APP) Fed's Hammack stated that with the labour market appearing to be roughly in balance, rate hikes could become appropriate in the near term. Hammack said that while she never focuses too much on any single data point, today's jobs report reaffirms that the labour market seems roughly in balance. She noted that the unemployment rate remaining at 4.3% is broadly consistent with what she defines as full employment. Given the uncertainty regarding the economic outlook, holding rates steady is sensible for now. But if recent trends continue, action could be needed soon. This essentially echoed remarks she made on June 2. (Jin10 Data APP) According to foreign media reports, the May non-farm payrolls data far exceeded market expectations, prompting the US interest rate futures market to sharply increase bets on a Fed rate hike at the December meeting. According to LSEG data, interest rate futures markets now price in a 65% probability of a Fed rate hike in December, up from 48% before the release of the jobs report. For the June meeting, the market continues to widely expect the Fed to keep rates unchanged in the 3.50%-3.75% range. Stronger than expected employment data indicates the US labour market remains resilient, further weakening market expectations for near-term rate cuts and reinforcing investor judgement that the Fed could resume raising rates later in the year to address inflation pressures. (Jin10 Data APP) According to CME FedWatch: The probability of the Fed keeping rates unchanged in June is 96.6% (vs. 96.4% prior to the non-farm payrolls release), with a 3.4% probability of a cumulative 25 bp rate cut. The probability of the Fed keeping rates unchanged through July is 90.6%, with a 6.2% probability of a cumulative 25 bp rate hike and a 3.2% probability of a cumulative 25 bp rate cut. (Jin10 Data APP) Macro: Next week, China side, China will release data including the May CPI yoy, May PPI yoy, May Trade Balance (pending), and May M2 Money Supply yoy (pending). US side, data to be released includes the US May NY Fed 1-Year Inflation Expectations, May NFIB Small Business Optimism Index, weekly change in ADP Employment for the week ending May 23, April Trade Balance, May Existing Home Sales Annualized Rate, April Wholesale Sales m/m, May unadjusted CPI yoy, May seasonally adjusted CPI m/m, May seasonally adjusted Core CPI m/m, May unadjusted Core CPI yoy, US 10-Year Note Auction rate and bid-to-cover ratio for the week ending June 10, Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending June 6, May PPI yoy, May PPI m/m, June preliminary 1-year inflation expectations, and June preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. Germany side, data to be released includes the German April seasonally adjusted Industrial Production m/m, April seasonally adjusted Trade Balance, and May final CPI m/m. Eurozone side, data to be released includes the Eurozone June Sentix Investor Confidence Index, ECB Deposit Facility Rate for the period through June 11, and ECB Main Refinancing Rate for the period through June 11. UK side, data to be released includes the UK April 3-month GDP m/m, April Manufacturing Production m/m, April seasonally adjusted Goods Trade Balance, and April Industrial Production m/m. Other data to be released includes the Bank of Canada rate decision for the period through June 10, France May final CPI m/m, Japan April Trade Balance, and Switzerland May Consumer Confidence Index. Additionally, the Bank of Canada will announce its interest rate decision, and BOC Governor Macklem and Senior Deputy Governor Rogers will hold a monetary policy press conference. The ECB will announce its interest rate decision, and ECB President Lagarde will hold a monetary policy press conference. Crude Oil: At the overnight close, both oil benchmarks fell collectively. WTI crude fell 3%, and Brent crude declined 2.37%, though both recorded weekly gains (WTI crude up 3.31% for the week, Brent crude up 1.82% for the week). Overnight oil prices fell mainly due to reduced market concerns over a potential US-Iran conflict. On the 5th, while at a campaign event in Wisconsin, former President Trump tweeted that he would swiftly end the war with Iran, removing a key driver of high prices. As the midterm elections approach, US public opinion widely believes the US-Iran conflict has led to rising oil prices and higher living costs, pressuring Republican electoral prospects. (CCTV) Fitch stated in a new report that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz created a logistical supply shock but did not alter the market trend. It expects rapid production recovery in the region, strong supply growth from non-OPEC countries combined with potentially more aggressive OPEC policy could reignite oversupply conditions in 2026 Q4 and push oil prices lower once the strait reopens. Based on the assumption that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen around end-July (meaning a five-month effective closure period), our base case forecast is for Brent crude oil to average $87/bbl in 2026. Significant uncertainty remains over the exact timing of the strait's reopening, and risks to oil prices are binary. The current price increase reflects temporary logistical supply disruptions rather than permanent loss of production capacity. We expect the strait to reopen around the end of July and believe Brent crude oil prices will fall significantly from elevated levels seen during the March to July period. (Jin10 Data APP) According to a Bloomberg survey, OPEC crude oil production fell to its lowest level in decades in May, as the US blockade against Iran and ongoing turmoil in the Persian Gulf region continue to curtail output. OPEC daily oil production fell by 1.22 million barrels in May (Iran accounting for half), dropping to 16.33 million barrels per day, the lowest level in at least 37 years. The figures exclude the UAE, which left OPEC last month. Iran's daily oil production last month tumbled to 2.34 million barrels, the lowest in five years, a drop of 710,000 barrels. The US Central Command remains active in enforcing the blockade of all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports. (Jin10 Data APP) Notably, however, the UK government has raised its domestic crude oil price forecast, now expecting that crude oil prices could remain around $100/bbl until 2028 even if the US reaches a peace agreement with Iran, because it now assumes a longer timeline for energy supply recovery from the Gulf region. The new analysis warns that pressures on energy prices are higher than previously expected, while the global economic outlook is also deteriorating. The UK government previously expected that Gulf region supplies could resume within about six months after the war ends, but it now believes that recovery could take as long as fourteen months. (Jin10 Data APP)

SMM May 22 update: Metals market: Overnight, base metals generally fell across both domestic and overseas markets. LME lead led the gains with a 1.39% increase, SHFE lead rose 0.57%, and LME aluminum gained 0.29%. LME nickel and SHFE tin both fell over 1%, with LME nickel down 1.21% and SHFE tin down 1.03%. LME tin closed flat at $53,795/mt, while other metals declined less than 1%. The alumina main contract fell 0.37%, and the casting aluminum main contract dropped 0.26%. Overnight, ferrous metals collectively declined, with hot-rolled coil down 0.7%, rebar down 0.5%, and iron ore and stainless steel showing slight fluctuations. Coking coal and coke side, coking coal fell 2.86% and coke dropped 1.53%. Overnight, precious metals side, COMEX gold rose 0.2% and COMEX silver gained 1.09%. In China, SHFE gold rose 0.43% and SHFE silver gained 1.85%. Overnight closing prices as of 6:40 AM on May 22: Macro Front China: [NDRC: To improve policy measures on fair competition, investment and financing, promotion of technological innovation, and business regulation] Li Hui, Director of the Private Economy Development Bureau of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), stated at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that the NDRC will better leverage its coordination function in promoting private economy development, organize and implement specific measures outlined in the rule-of-law action plan for safeguarding the private economy, and strengthen the implementation of the Private Economy Promotion Law. The NDRC will improve supporting systems, refine relevant policy measures on fair competition, investment and financing, promotion of technological innovation, and business regulation; continue to jointly release typical cases with relevant departments to demonstrate law interpretation through cases; implement policy effectiveness assessments, promote direct and swift delivery of enterprise-benefiting policies, and guide enterprises in enhancing governance capabilities. US dollar: As of the overnight close, the US dollar index rose 0.08% to 99.21. Last week, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits decreased, indicating a degree of resilience in the labour market and providing room for the US Fed to focus on addressing rising inflation. Data showed that initial jobless claims fell by 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 209,000 for the week ending May 16. Although economists expect jobless claims to increase over the summer due to seasonal factors, the labour market currently remains in a holding pattern. Financial markets currently expect the US Fed to maintain the benchmark overnight rate in the 3.50%-3.75% range until next year. Jin Shi Data APP) US Fed's Barkin stated that the ability of enterprises and consumers to absorb the latest round of supply shocks will determine whether the US central bank can continue to "look through" higher inflation without raising interest rates. In remarks prepared for a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina on Thursday, Barkin said: "After inflation has been above our 2% target for more than five years, it's worth asking whether the cumulative effect of so many rounds of shocks might loosen the 'anchor' of inflation expectations." He also said: "For me, the key question is how much more pressure enterprises, consumers, and inflation expectations can bear." Barkin added that he is increasingly concerned that the US may have entered a "new phase" in which supply shocks will become more frequent. These shocks could stem from multiple factors, including heightened geopolitical tensions, fragmentation of the trading system, more extreme weather events, rising government debt, and other structural forces. He also noted that, for now, the US Fed's monetary policy stance is "in a good place" to address risks on both the employment and inflation fronts. (Jin Shi Data APP) According to CME "FedWatch": the probability of the US Fed maintaining rates unchanged through June was 96.8%, with a 3.2% probability of a cumulative 25 basis point rate hike. The probability of the US Fed maintaining rates unchanged through July was 85.4%, with a 14.2% probability of a cumulative 25 basis point rate hike and a 0.4% probability of a cumulative 50 basis point rate hike. (Jin Shi Data APP) On the data front: Data to be released today include the US May University of Michigan consumer sentiment index final reading, US May one-year inflation expectations final reading, US April Conference Board leading indicators MoM, UK May GfK consumer confidence index, UK April public sector net borrowing, UK April seasonally adjusted retail sales MoM, Germany June GfK consumer confidence index, Germany Q1 non-seasonally adjusted GDP YoY final reading, Germany May IFO business climate index, Japan April core CPI YoY, and Canada March retail sales MoM. In addition, 2027 FOMC voter and Richmond Fed President Barkin will deliver a speech, and US Fed Governor Waller will deliver a speech. On crude oil: As of the overnight close, oil prices on both markets fell together, with WTI down 0.26% and Brent down 0.1%. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) citing Al Arabiya, a final draft of the US-Iran agreement has been reached under Pakistan's mediation and is expected to be announced within the coming hours. Rapidan Energy Group stated that if the Strait of Hormuz closure persists through August, downside economic risks will increase, with severity potentially approaching that of the 2008 Great Recession. The consultancy's base-case scenario assumes the waterway will reopen in July, under which daily average oil demand would decline by 2.6 million barrels and the benchmark Brent crude oil spot price would peak near $130 per barrel during the summer. (Wallstreetcn) According to informed sources, seven major OPEC+ producing countries may agree to a modest raise in oil production for July when they meet on June 7. Despite the ongoing Iran war currently raging, actual crude delivery channels for several of these countries remain in a state of complete disruption. The monthly combined production target proposed by the seven core OPEC+ members is expected to increase by approximately 188,000 barrels per day. Official OPEC statistics showed that total global OPEC+ oil production plunged sharply from 42.77 million barrels per day in February this year to 33.19 million barrels per day in April. Of that, daily production from Gulf region producing countries alone collapsed by 9.9 million barrels. (Reuters) As the US-Iran conflict has resulted in the loss of millions of barrels of crude oil supply, demand slowdown will be forced to become the primary means of balancing the supply-demand gap. The market is increasingly inclined to believe that oil prices will peak near $100 per barrel over the next year. This was one of the conclusions from a Bloomberg Intelligence survey this month, which received 126 responses from asset managers and other energy market professionals. Amrita Sen, co-founder and head of research at Energy Aspects, stated that the oil market is currently in a state of severe undersupply but has not yet faced a major shortage. The market is currently drawing down inventory and strategic reserves, but Energy Aspects estimates that if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, shortages could begin to emerge by the end of June. "We are really just barely getting by right now, drawing down those inventories. Global refiners' purchases are low, and if they start buying again, market prices could overshoot. There won't be a global tank-bottoming, but it will certainly happen in some regions — on the crude side, parts of Asia, while the US refined products market is currently heading rapidly in that direction." (Bloomberg)

China’s hydrogen market is showing clear divergence: alkaline electrolyzers are booming with frequent deliveries, PEM electrolyzers stay quiet, and AEM technology is quietly advancing. This “ice and fire” trend reveals competition over technical maturity and market selection. Meanwhile, breakthroughs in storage, transportation and refueling are reshaping the industry, marking a more rational and practical stage for China’s hydrogen sector. I. Alkaline Electrolyzers: Booming on Cost and Scale Alkaline electrolyzers dominate the market with surging deliveries and large-scale deployment. CRRC Zhuzhou Institute shipped 12 sets of 1200 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers for CHN Energy’s “Liquid Sunshine” project; CFHI delivered a 3,000 Nm³/h system; and PetroChina’s 2,000 Nm³/h unit successfully commissioned with hydrogen purity reaching 99.9995%.Sunshine Hydrogen won a 30,000 Nm³/h contract for a green methanol project, while EVE Hydrogen and Haozhen Hydrogen also completed deliveries. Driven by mature technology, low cost and a complete supply chain, alkaline electrolyzers have become the top choice for large-scale, cost-sensitive green hydrogen projects. II. PEM Electrolyzers: Silent Strategic Reserve PEM electrolyzers are largely absent from recent headlines mainly due to high costs from precious metal catalysts and proton exchange membranes. Its strength—fast response to wind and solar fluctuation—is not yet a must-have for most large projects, which prefer grid-supported alkaline systems.Yet PEM development has not stopped. Domestic firms are pushing for localization of core materials, waiting for cost declines and scenario maturity to unleash its advantages. III. AEM Electrolyzers: Laying Ground for Next-Gen Tech AEM combines the low cost of alkaline and high efficiency of PEM, seen as a promising next-generation route. It is still in pre-industrial phase, with focus on improving membrane durability and membrane electrode manufacturing. Enterprises are making steady breakthroughs in materials and processes for long-term competition. IV. Storage & Transportation: Key Breakthroughs for Scaling Large-scale gaseous hydrogen storage is moving forward: SPIC’s Da’an project plans six 1,850 m³ spherical tanks, greatly improving storage capacity.Liquid hydrogen sees a milestone: China’s first 5-ton/day hydrogen liquefaction plant started operation with 100% domestic equipment and 40% lower energy consumption, cutting costs for long-distance transport.Guofu Hydrogen built a hydrogen-natural gas blending platform supporting 0%–30% blending. SAMR launched safety standards for hydrogen refueling stations, filling gaps in liquid hydrogen refueling rules.Improved storage, transportation and standards expand the economic radius of green hydrogen and lay a foundation for large-scale application. Conclusion The divergence of hydrogen production routes reflects market choice based on technical maturity: alkaline leads for near-term economy, PEM reserves strength for flexible scenarios, and AEM targets next-generation innovation. The three routes are complementary rather than substitutive.Breakthroughs in storage and transportation are game-changers. With falling liquid hydrogen costs, better infrastructure and completed standards, the industry will enter a more diversified and dynamic era.

SMM News, May 21: Metals market: As of the midday close, most base metals on the domestic market rose. SHFE copper gained 1.33%, SHFE aluminum rose 0.33%, SHFE lead climbed 1.55%, SHFE zinc advanced 1.47%, and SHFE tin surged 3.21%. SHFE nickel fell 0.57%. In addition, the most-traded casting aluminum futures rose 0.39%, the most-traded alumina contract gained 0.37%, the most-traded lithium carbonate contract rose 1.18%, the most-traded silicon metal contract climbed 0.35%, and the most-traded polysilicon futures rose 0.37%. Ferrous metals mostly rose. Iron ore fell 0.5%, rebar edged up, hot-rolled coil gained 0.23%, and stainless steel rose 0.41%. Coking coal and coke: the most-traded coking coal contract rose 0.33%, and the most-traded coke contract was flat at 1,774.5 yuan/mt. Overseas base metals: as of 11:32, LME metals generally fell. LME copper dropped 0.15%, LME aluminum was flat at 3,629 yuan/mt, LME lead rose 0.71%, LME zinc fell 0.1%, LME tin declined 0.53%, and LME nickel dropped 0.92%. Precious metals: as of 11:32, COMEX gold rose 0.12% and COMEX silver fell 0.26%. Domestic precious metals: the most-traded SHFE gold contract gained 0.89% and the most-traded SHFE silver contract rose 1.85%. In addition, as of the midday close, the most-traded platinum futures rose 0.74% and the most-traded palladium futures gained 0.47%. As of the midday close, the most-traded Europe containerized freight index contract rose 7.66% to 2,957.5 points. As of 11:32 on May 21, midday futures quotes for selected contracts: Spot cargo and fundamentals Nickel: On May 21, SMM #1 refined nickel prices rose 1,550 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Spot premiums: Jinchuan #1 refined nickel averaged 1,200 yuan/mt, down 250 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. Domestic mainstream brand electrodeposited nickel premiums ranged from -600 to 500 yuan/mt. Macro front China: [NDRC: To improve policy measures on fair competition, investment and financing, promotion of sci-tech innovation, and business regulation] Li Hui, Director of the Private Economy Development Bureau of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), stated at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that the NDRC will better leverage its coordination function in promoting private economy development, organize and carry out specific measures outlined in the action plan for safeguarding the private economy through the rule of law, and strengthen the implementation of the Private Economy Promotion Law. The NDRC will improve supporting systems and refine policy measures on fair competition, investment and financing, promotion of sci-tech innovation, and business regulation. It will continue to work with relevant departments to publish typical cases to illustrate the law through cases, conduct assessments of policy implementation effectiveness, promote direct and swift access to enterprise-friendly policies, and guide enterprises in enhancing their governance capabilities. [China's Enterprise Credit Index Reached 162.41 in April This Year, Maintaining a Positive Trend] According to the State Administration for Market Regulation, China's Enterprise Credit Index stood at 162.41 in April this year, up 0.15 points from March, with enterprise credit levels maintaining a positive trend. In April, the top 5 industries by credit index ranking were finance, electricity/heat/gas and water production and supply, education, manufacturing, and water conservancy/environment and public facilities management. Compared with the previous month, the indices for information transmission/software and information technology services, finance, and health and social work showed relatively notable increases, achieving positive growth for three consecutive months, with credit development trends continuing to improve. (CCTV News) [Qiushi Commentary Article: How to Thoroughly Address "Involution-Style" Competition in Manufacturing] The article pointed out that thoroughly addressing "involution-style" competition requires institutional innovation to drive competition toward quality upgrading. Only when government behavior is regulated and market mechanisms are streamlined can enterprises shift from low-price disorderly competition to value-based competition. A unified national market should be built to break down market segmentation, policies hindering fair competition should be resolutely eliminated, outdated capacity should be phased out in an orderly manner in accordance with laws and regulations to prevent "bad money driving out good," and competitive enterprises should be allocated resources commensurate with their competitiveness. Performance assessment reform should be used to correct government behavior, shifting assessment focus toward "quality" indicators such as development quality, technological innovation, and industrial coordination, aligning local government incentives with high-quality development, and curbing the impulse for homogeneous investment attraction at the source. Evaluation mechanism reform should be used to rectify competitive behavior, reversing the "price-only" tendency, establishing comprehensive evaluation mechanisms centered on technology, quality, and service, making premium quality at premium prices a market consensus, and guiding resources toward enterprises with strong innovation capabilities and high product value-added. The PBOC conducted 100 billion yuan of 7-day reverse repo operations in the open market at an interest rate of 1.40%, unchanged from the previous day. Today, 500 million yuan of reverse repos matured. US Dollar: As of 11:32, the US dollar index rose 0.05% to 99.19. The US Fed meeting minutes showed that participants anticipated elevated energy prices would continue to exert upward pressure on headline inflation in the near term. Participants generally expected that the impact of tariffs on core goods inflation would gradually diminish over the course of this year. However, some participants noted that tariff rates could rise further above current levels, resulting in greater upward pressure on inflation. Several participants emphasized that, after inflation had remained above 2% for several consecutive years, elevated inflation could have a greater influence on wage- and price-setting decisions. Almost all participants noted that the conflict in the Middle East could persist for an extended period, or even if the conflict ended, oil and other commodity prices could remain elevated for longer than expectations. In such a scenario, participants anticipated that factors such as supply chain disruptions, elevated energy prices, or the pass-through of higher input costs to other prices would continue to push inflation higher. The vast majority of participants noted that the time required for inflation to return to the Committee's 2% target could be longer than they had previously expected, and that risks had increased. The US Fed meeting minutes showed that regarding the monetary policy outlook, participants generally believed that persistently elevated inflation and uncertainty about the duration and economic impact of the Middle East conflict could necessitate maintaining the current policy stance for longer than expectations. Some participants emphasized that it might be appropriate to lower the target range for the federal funds rate once clear signs emerged that the pullback trend in inflation had steadily resumed, or signs of greater softness in the labour market appeared. However, most participants noted that if inflation remained persistently above 2%, some tightening measures might be necessary. To address this scenario, many participants indicated that they would prefer to remove language from the post-meeting statement that implied the Committee's future rate decisions might lean toward easing. Participants noted that monetary policy was not predetermined and that future policy decisions would be made on a meeting-by-meeting basis. According to the CME "FedWatch" tool: the probability of the US Fed maintaining rates unchanged through June was 97.3%, with a cumulative probability of a 25-basis-point interest rate cut at 2.7%. The probability of the US Fed maintaining rates unchanged through July was 87.2%, with a cumulative probability of a 25-basis-point interest rate cut at 2.4%, and a cumulative probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike at 10.4%. (Jin Shi Data) On the data front: Data to be released today include US initial jobless claims for the week ending May 16, US April annualized housing starts, US April building permits, US May Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index, US May S&P Global Manufacturing PMI preliminary reading, US May S&P Global Services PMI preliminary reading, Eurozone May Manufacturing PMI preliminary reading, Eurozone March seasonally adjusted current account, Eurozone May Consumer Confidence Index preliminary reading, France May Manufacturing PMI preliminary reading, Germany May Manufacturing PMI preliminary reading, UK May Manufacturing PMI preliminary reading, UK May Services PMI preliminary reading, UK May CBI Industrial Orders balance, and Australia April seasonally adjusted unemployment rate. In addition, attention should also be paid to the following: Bank of England Governor Bailey delivered a speech, and China's refined oil products were set to enter a new round of price adjustment window. Crude oil: As of 11:32, oil prices in both markets rose, with WTI up 0.94% and Brent up 0.83%. Supply concerns driven by market worries over the uncertain prospects of a US-Iran peace deal continued to support oil prices. In addition, declining US crude oil inventory also lent support to oil prices. EIA report: Commercial crude oil inventory, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, fell by 7.863 million barrels to 445 million barrels, a decline of 1.74%. The weekly EIA crude oil inventory drawdown for the week ending May 15 was the largest since the week of February 13, 2026. A research report from CITIC Securities noted that global oil inventory was declining sharply, intensifying the risk of energy shortages. The US-Israel-Iran conflict disrupted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, causing global oil inventory to plummet at a record pace and heightening the risk of summer energy shortages. The market temporarily cushioned the pressure by relying on previously surplus inventory, exemptions from Russian oil sanctions, and strategic petroleum reserve releases by multiple countries, while high oil prices also triggered a contraction in global oil demand. International oil prices are currently fluctuating at elevated levels, US refined product prices have hit multi-year highs, oil supplies in multiple energy-importing regions in Asia are on the verge of shortages, dragging down regional economic growth. Oil prices may still have significant upside room, and accelerating the development of renewable energy has become a long-term measure for countries to guard against energy risks. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of the UAE, said on the 20th that the UAE was building an east-west oil pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The project was nearly 50% complete and is expected to be completed and operational by 2027. According to the UAE's Gulf News, Al Jaber said at an online event hosted by the US think tank Atlantic Council that a large volume of global energy transportation still relied on a few critical maritime chokepoints, and the UAE hoped to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and enhance the security of energy exports through this project. (Xinhua) Goldman Sachs stated that as the Middle East war continued and supply remained constrained, global crude oil and refined product inventory was being depleted at a record pace this month. Goldman Sachs analysts noted in a report dated May 20 that since the beginning of May, visible inventory had been declining at a record rate of 8.7 million barrels per day, nearly double the average pace since the outbreak of the conflict. They stated, "The physical market continues to tighten, and oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz are estimated to remain at only 5% of normal levels." Goldman Sachs analysts noted that two-thirds of the inventory decline in May was driven by a reduction in so-called "oil on water," with exports falling more than imports. The import slump is now "spreading from Asia to Europe," they noted, with European jet fuel imports 60% below the 2025 average. (Jin10 Data) Spot Market Overview: ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

The 4th China (Jiangxi) International Nonferrous Metals and Metallurgical Industry Exhibition, 2027 The 4th China (Jiangxi) International Nonferrous Metals and Metallurgical Industry Exhibition in 2027 Date: March 28-30, 2027 Venue: Nanchang Greenland International Expo Center "World Tungsten Capital" "World Copper Capital" "Asia's Lithium Capital" "Rare Earth Kingdom" Concurrent Events: The 4th China (Jiangxi) International Green Mining Exhibition, 2027 The 4th China (Jiangxi) International Foundry, Die Casting, Forging, Heat Treatment and Industrial Furnace Exhibition, 2027 [Jiangxi's Many Firsts] New China's first aircraft, first diesel wheeled tractor, first military sidecar motorcycle, first coastal defense missile, first artificial satellite, and today's C919 large passenger aircraft were all born here. [Industrial Advantages] The nonferrous metals industry is the largest pillar industry of Jiangxi Province. The energy consumption dual controls, dual carbon policies, and the new connotations of high-quality development have put forward new requirements for strengthening and expanding the nonferrous metals industry. Promoting the further healthy, rapid, and orderly development of the nonferrous metals industry and enhancing its core competitiveness is an inevitable requirement for transforming from a province rich in nonferrous metal resources to a province with a strong nonferrous metals industry, and is also an important lever for Jiangxi to achieve carbon peaking by 2030. Leveraging Jiangxi Province's abundant nonferrous mineral resources, Jiangxi's nonferrous metals industry has developed rapidly, with continuously expanding scale and improving standards. It has become Jiangxi's largest pillar industry and is currently a key "trillion-yuan-level" industry being cultivated in Jiangxi. It is the undisputed "ballast stone" of Jiangxi's manufacturing sector. Jiangxi has become an important nonferrous metal ore mining and production site in China. Jiangxi Province enjoys superior metallogenic geological conditions and abundant mineral resources, making it one of China's important bases for nonferrous metals, rare metals, rare earth, and uranium minerals, with a relatively high degree of mineral resource complementarity. Jiangxi's seven major categories of minerals — copper, tungsten, rare earth, uranium, tantalum-niobium, gold, and silver — are known as the "Seven Golden Flowers." According to Jiangxi Province's "2+6+N" Action Plan for High-Quality Leapfrog Industrial Development, the province's nonferrous metals industry plans to achieve a trillion-yuan level in main business revenue. To promote the healthy development of Jiangxi Province's nonferrous metals industry, facilitate foreign economic and trade cooperation, and guide Jiangxi's nonferrous metals industry to align with international standards, the Organizing Committee, after conducting multiple in-depth grassroots surveys and project analyses with government authorities and industry associations, has decided to hold the "4th China (Jiangxi) International Nonferrous Metals and Metallurgical Industry Exhibition, 2027" at the Nanchang Greenland International Expo Center on March 28-30, 2027. We look forward to seeing you there. [ Exhibition Dates ] Registration and Booth Setup: March 26-27, 2027 Opening Ceremony: March 28, 2027, 9:30 Exhibition and Trading: March 28-30, 2027 Dismantling: March 30, 2027, 14:00 [Scope of Exhibits] Non-ferrous Metal Raw Materials: copper, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, zinc, lead, manganese, zirconium, vanadium, nickel, molybdenum, silicon, antimony, tin, chromium, tungsten, tantalum, indium and other non-ferrous metal mineral product raw materials, magnetic materials, rare and rare earth materials, precious metal materials and various alloy materials; Non-ferrous Metal Products: copper products, aluminum products, titanium alloy products, magnesium alloy products, powder metallurgy products, etc.; Metallurgical Equipment and Technology: smelting furnaces and kilns, refining equipment, smelting pumps and valves, conveying equipment, heat exchange equipment, flue gas acid-making equipment, corrosion-resistant equipment, hydrometallurgy, electrolysis equipment, large power rectifier power supplies, electrolytic cells, extraction equipment, surface treatment equipment, etc.; Metal Processing Machine Tools: lathes, milling machines, sawing machines, drilling machines, grinding machines, punch presses, boring machines, machining centers, electrical discharge machines, wire cutting machines, laser processing equipment, etc.; Metal Automation Control Equipment: frequency converters, fieldbuses, industrial computers, instruments and meters, automation control, robots, electronic application systems, weighing instruments and information solutions for equipment manufacturing, etc.; Auxiliary Materials for Metal Production: chemicals, solvents, refractory materials, catalysts, gases, lubricating oils, etc.; Powder Metallurgy: raw materials, equipment, products, 3D printing, polymer powder materials, ceramic powder materials; Casting, Die Casting and Forging: castings, casting equipment, casting materials, casting molds, casting/pouring robots, new casting technology and supporting products, various heat treatment furnaces, industrial furnaces, die castings, die casting molds, die casting machines and peripheral equipment, post-processing equipment for die castings, surface treatment technology and equipment, die casting robots, new die casting technology and supporting products, forgings, flanges and rings, forging equipment and accessories, surface treatment technology and equipment, automation, forging mold manufacturing technology and equipment, forging raw materials. Geological (Mine) Exploration Technology and Equipment: geophysical exploration technology, geochemical exploration technology, aerial survey and remote sensing technology, surveying and mapping technology, geological data processing, mineral product analysis, laboratory instruments and meters. Mining Technology and Equipment: excavation equipment, drilling and rock drilling equipment, loading equipment, transportation equipment (excavators, loaders, underground mining vehicles, mining dump units), hoisting equipment, drilling, construction machinery, etc. [Media Promotion] 65 authoritative financial media outlets including Jiangxi Daily, Jiangxi Television Economic Channel, Dajiang Finance Channel, Jiangxi Net, China Net, China Daily Net, and China Finance Net; 10 major self-media platforms including Sohu, NetEase, and Toutiao; 53 industry-leading professional media outlets including China Mining Net, China Excavator Net, China Foundry Net, China Die Casting Net, China Auto Manufacturing Net, World Aluminum Net, China Nonferrous Metals Net, Nonferrous Metals Information Net, and Metalworking, along with 180 other industry-related professional media outlets; Comprehensive coverage of key words search clients through online search platforms such as Baidu Promotion and 360 Promotion; [Concurrent Events] 2027 China Foundry Technology Innovation Outstanding Contribution Award Ceremony 2027 China Metallurgical Melting and Casting Technology Seminar 2027 China Recycled Metals Industry Chain Integrated Development Forum 2027 China NEV and Auto Body Lightweighting Peak Forum 2027 China Green Mine Development Forum [Exhibition Rules] ★ Standard booth 3m×3m: China enterprises: RMB 9,800 yuan/booth; overseas enterprises: RMB 15,800 yuan/booth; ★ International brand booth (9 ㎡, deluxe decoration) RMB 12,800 yuan/booth; overseas enterprises: RMB 18,800 yuan/booth; ★ Indoor bare space (minimum 36 ㎡): China enterprises: RMB 1,000 yuan/㎡; overseas enterprises: RMB 2,000 yuan/㎡; Booth equipped with: two fluorescent tubes, one waste basket, display boards, header board, one table and two chairs, air conditioning, lighting, security, and cleaning services. Note: Bare space does not include any exhibition facilities. Special decoration management fees and hydropower fees charged by the venue shall be borne by the exhibitors and their special decoration contractors. [Organizing Committee Secretariat] Contact: Song Jia 132-1700-0270 (same on WeChat) Official website: http://www.jxysjs.net

SMM April 30: The CPC Central Committee Political Bureau meeting proposed to "effectively prevent and resolve risks in key areas, strive to stabilize the real estate market, and solidly advance urban renewal." On April 29, the Shenzhen Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau issued a notice to further optimize real estate regulation policies. The Guangdong 15th Five-Year Plan outline calls for accelerating the construction of a new model for real estate development, implementing city-specific policies to increase supply of essential and upgrading housing. Six departments including the Zhuhai Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau optimized and adjusted local real estate policy measures... Industry fundamentals simultaneously recovered at the margin: the latest data from the China Index Academy showed that total bond financing in the real estate sector in March was up 5.7% YoY and up 48.4% MoM, with the financing environment continuing to improve. Meanwhile, new home transactions in Guangzhou rose significantly MoM, leading first-tier cities. Multiple policy dividends, financing improvements, and recovering property market transactions resonated together, jointly driving the real estate development sector higher. As of the market close on April 30, the real estate development sector rose 1.52%. In terms of individual stocks: Jintou Chengkai, Jinrongjie, Wantong Development, Quzhou Development, and Beichen Industrial hit the daily limit, while Zhongzhou Holdings, Greenland Holdings, Sanxiang Impression, Hefei Urban Construction, and Jingtou Development led gains. News [CPC Central Committee Political Bureau Held a Meeting to Analyze and Study the Current Economic Situation and Economic Work] The CPC Central Committee Political Bureau held a meeting on April 28 to analyze and study the current economic situation and economic work. CPC Central Committee General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the meeting. The meeting noted that since the beginning of this year, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has strengthened overall leadership over economic work, taking a holistic and forward-looking approach. All regions and departments have acted proactively and implemented comprehensive policies. China's economy got off to a strong start, with major indicators exceeding expectations, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality. At the same time, there are some difficulties and challenges, and the foundation for sustained and steady economic improvement needs further consolidation. Confidence should be strengthened, and economic work should be pursued with greater intensity and more practical measures. The meeting pointed out the need to effectively prevent and resolve risks in key areas. Efforts should be made to stabilize the real estate market and solidly advance urban renewal. Local government debt risks should be resolved in an orderly manner, with focus on addressing the issue of overdue payments to enterprises. Reform of small and medium-sized financial institutions should be promoted, and confidence in the capital market should be stabilized and strengthened. [Shenzhen Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau Issued a Notice on Further Optimizing and Adjusting Local Real Estate-Related Policies] On April 29, the Shenzhen Municipal Housing and Construction Bureau issued a notice to further optimize real estate regulation policies. Purchase restrictions: eligible resident families can purchase one additional housing unit in Futian, Nanshan, and Bao'an Xin'an Subdistrict; non-Shenzhen-hukou families with valid residence permits can also purchase one unit in the above areas. Housing provident fund: the maximum family loan amount was raised to 1.3 million yuan, with first-home buyers and multi-child families eligible for up to 70% upward adjustment. The new policy takes effect from April 30. [Guangdong 15th Five-Year Plan Outline: Accelerating the Construction of a New Model for Real Estate Development, Increasing Rigid and Improvement-oriented Housing Supply Based on City-specific Policies] The Outline of Guangdong Province's 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development was officially released, mentioning accelerating the construction of a new model for real estate development, improving the housing system featuring multi-entity supply, multi-channel guarantee, and both rental and purchase options, striving to stabilize the real estate market and comprehensively enhancing residential quality. City-specific policies will increase rigid and improvement-oriented housing supply, expand supply of both large and small units, appropriately develop high-quality housing meeting the needs of high-net-worth individuals, and better satisfy diversified improvement-oriented housing demand. [China Index Academy: March Real Estate Bond Financing Total Up 48.4% MoM] Latest data from China Index Academy showed that in Q1 2026, financing support policies for real estate enterprises remained accommodative with more diversified financing instruments. Bond financing scale was flat YoY, with credit bonds and ABS remaining the dominant instruments. In March, total real estate bond financing was up 5.7% YoY and up 48.4% MoM. [Guangzhou New Home Transactions Surge MoM, Leading First-tier Cities] Since the beginning of this year, the Guangzhou real estate market has shown clear signs of recovery. In March, new home volume and prices rose simultaneously, and the "mini spring" momentum continued into April. NBS data showed that Guangzhou new home selling prices were up 0.3% MoM in March, with 7,059 new home online signings citywide, up 241% MoM and up 26.67% YoY. Trading volume and price gains led first-tier cities. Entering April, the Guangzhou market maintained a steady upward trend. According to institutional monitoring, mid-April weekly new home transactions rebounded 5.4% WoW, with project visits and subscriptions in core areas remaining at high levels. By district, Tianhe District, as the core of Guangzhou's main urban area, led the city in transaction activity. In March, Tianhe District new home transactions surged over 500% MoM, ranking first among all 11 districts and becoming the strongest support for this round of Guangzhou's "mini spring." Destocking cycles in core district sub-markets continued to shorten, improvement-oriented demand was concentrated in release, and multiple high-grade projects saw strong sales. (Zhitong Finance) [China Index Academy: National Real Estate Market Still Consolidating at Lows in Q1, Floor Space of New Commercial Buildings Sold Continued to Pull Back YoY] Zhitong Finance APP learned that China Index Academy stated that in Q1 2026, the national real estate market was still consolidating at lows, with the floor space of new commercial buildings sold continuing to pull back YoY. Against this backdrop, quality projects in core cities maintained relatively stable sales performance. According to China Index data, the top 20 projects by sales in key cities in Q1 recorded a combined transaction value exceeding 50 billion yuan, with first-tier city projects occupying 12 spots. CITIC City Development·Xinyue Bay in Nanshan District, Shenzhen topped the list with 6.55 billion yuan in signed contract value, followed by Shenzhen Bay Yunxi and Guangzhou Poly Yuexi Bay in second and third place respectively. [Xinhua Commentary: Stabilization Signals Strengthening, Further Consolidating the Foundation for Real Estate High-Quality Development] The property market's "Golden March, Silver April" is showing initial warmth, with market expectations undergoing positive changes. A series of signals indicate that the real estate market, led by first-tier and hot second-tier cities as "bellwethers," is showing a strengthening trend of stabilization, with industry confidence entering a sustained recovery track. This is not a simple stabilization, but rather the real estate market accumulating momentum to consolidate at lows and recover after undergoing deep adjustment. From adjusting and optimizing housing provident fund policies to the normalization of urban real estate financing coordination mechanisms, from housing trade-in policies to intensified efforts in purchasing existing commercial housing for use as affordable housing, the more precise and forceful policy measures since the beginning of this year have consolidated the foundation for real estate high-quality development. The stable and healthy development of the real estate market is related to economic performance and people's well-being. Against the backdrop of continued advancement of new-type urbanization, optimizing and adjusting existing stock and achieving a higher level of "housing for all" is a requirement for sustainable economic and social development. Looking toward the "15th Five-Year Plan" development goals, accelerating transformation with more precise and forceful measures, balancing short-term market stabilization with long-term institutional improvement, is the way to truly drive real estate to achieve high-quality development. [Lujiazui: Residential Sales Contract Value at 9.343 Billion Yuan in 2025, Up 28% YoY] Lujiazui announced that from January to December 2025, the company achieved real estate leasing cash inflows of 3.763 billion yuan, down 10% YoY; equity leasing cash inflows were 3.071 billion yuan, down 10% YoY. Contract sales of residential properties totaled 9.343 billion yuan, up 28% YoY, with equity contract sales of 6.283 billion yuan, up 25% YoY. Cash inflows from residential property sales reached 10.791 billion yuan, up 76% YoY, with equity sales cash inflows of 7.104 billion yuan, up 64% YoY. Cash inflows from office project sales were 641 million yuan, with equity sales cash inflows of 353 million yuan. Newly started GFA was 163,900 m², and completed GFA was 410,200 m². [China Merchants Shekou Secured Two Land Parcels in Shanghai in One Day, with the Xuhui Botanical Garden Plot at a 25% Premium] On April 21, during Shanghai's third land auction of 2026, the plot xh290-09 in the S031201 unit of Xuhui District was acquired by Shanghai Zhaohui Qingya Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. for 3.3 billion yuan after 82 rounds of bidding, at a floor price of approximately 87,000/m² and a premium rate of 25%. Excluding the 3,500 m² of mandatory construction, the available-for-sale floor cost was approximately 96,000/m². The plot attracted 9 bidders, including Shanghai Chengtou, China Merchants Shekou, CNOOC, the "C&D+Xiangyu" consortium, Yuexiu, the "Poly+West Bund" consortium, CR Land, Greentown, and the "Jinmao+Qingneng" consortium. [Six Departments Including Zhuhai Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau Optimized and Adjusted Local Real Estate Policy Measures] Six departments including Zhuhai Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau issued a notice on optimizing and adjusting local real estate policy measures. The notice proposed optimizing housing provident fund loan policies. First, raising the maximum housing provident fund loan limits. For those eligible for provident fund loans, the maximum personal housing loan limits for single and dual-contributor employee families were adjusted from 800,000 yuan to 1 million yuan and from 1.3 million yuan to 1.5 million yuan, respectively. Second, expanding the scope of home purchase support for multi-child families. When multi-child families purchase a second self-use residence and apply for provident fund loans, the loan amount may be increased by 20% above the eligible loan amount, but shall not exceed the city's maximum provident fund loan limit. Third, raising the loan amount increase ratio for purchasing green buildings. When contributing employees purchase commercial housing that meets the national two-star green building standard or commercial housing certified as prefabricated construction projects, the loan amount may be increased by 20% above the eligible loan amount, but shall not exceed the city's maximum provident fund loan limit; for commercial housing meeting the national three-star green building standard, the loan amount may be increased by 30% above the eligible loan amount, but shall not exceed the city's maximum provident fund loan limit. [Foshan Launched Trade-in Program for Commercial Housing!First batch involving 22 housing projects] Recently, the "Notice on Organizing the First Batch of Commercial Housing 'Trade-in' Program by Foshan Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau" was officially released. This is not a simple encouragement document, but a systematic solution to unblock replacement bottlenecks through model innovation and a policy package. It promotes the real estate market's transition from "one-sided transactions" to "a virtuous cycle between existing and incremental housing," achieving a win-win outcome for residents, enterprises, and the market. The innovation of Foshan's trade-in policy lies in introducing multiple real estate enterprises to participate jointly: Foshan Anju, Chancheng Anju, Nanhai Youju, Shunde Chengtie, Gaoming Airport Construction, and Sanshui Anju serve as acquisition entities; 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, sets 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. [China Real Estate News: Make good and flexible use of policies to strengthen efforts in stabilizing the property market] China Real Estate News published a commentary article. In this opening year, the real estate market achieved encouraging results in its upward and stable trajectory. In terms of transaction data, from Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen, to Nanjing, Hangzhou, Changchun, Yinchuan, and Dalian, and further to Yichang, Ningbo, and Yantai across all city tiers, the property market at the start of this year exuded signs of recovery. Both new and second-hand housing markets showed clear momentum of activity, with cities like Shanghai and Beijing even showing obvious transaction expansion signals. In March, Shanghai's second-hand housing online signed transactions reached 31,215 units, the highest in nearly five years; Beijing's new commercial housing transactions exceeded 3,600 units, more than tripling from February. From the national perspective, the property market also exhibited increasingly strong structural recovery characteristics. Real estate stable development has always been closely linked to financial and tax policy. Every subtle policy optimization and empowerment adds "lubricant" at critical junctures of market operation, reducing the "friction coefficient." Currently, the market has shown a positive "Golden March, Silver April" trend, which is also a critical period for efforts to stabilize the real estate market. Local governments should strive to act where policies can make a difference and intensify efforts where action is warranted. This approach is ultimately anchored in the two short-term and long-term goals of stabilizing the real estate market and promoting high-quality development of real estate, continuously enhancing the certainty and sustainability of China's real estate stability and high-quality development. [Jiangsu Taizhou: Encouraging State-Owned Enterprises and Real Estate Development Enterprises to Launch Shared-Ownership Commercial Housing for Sale to Young People, New Urban Residents and Other Groups] The Notice on Implementing Several Measures to Stabilise the Real Estate Market, jointly issued by the Taizhou Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau and the Municipal Finance Bureau, officially took effect on the 17th. It proposed increasing housing purchase support for "young and new resident groups," implementing loan interest subsidies for "young talents." For young talents who use housing provident fund and commercial loans to purchase their first new commercial housing in the urban area, a 2% fiscal interest subsidy on the loan amount will be provided annually for a period of 2 years. Meanwhile, it supports shared-ownership commercial housing pilot programmes, encouraging state-owned enterprises and real estate development enterprises to launch shared-ownership commercial housing for sale to young people, new urban residents and other groups. [NDRC: Focusing on Expanding Effective Domestic Demand, to Formulate the 2026–2030 Implementation Plan for Expanding Domestic Demand Strategy] On 17 April, the State Council Information Office held a thematic press conference in the series of "Getting Off to a Good Start in the 15th Five-Year Plan Period," introducing the high-quality economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Wang Changlin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), stated that since the beginning of this year, the economy has shown positive changes, with notable improvements on both the supply and demand sides, better playing the role of a global economic stabiliser, and performing better than the expectations of many institutions and experts in and outside China. Going forward, efforts will focus on five areas. First, implementing a macro policy package, preparing a batch of comprehensive policy measures in advance and rolling them out in a timely manner as needed; second, focusing on expanding effective domestic demand, formulating the 2026–2030 implementation plan for expanding domestic demand strategy, and promoting the early commencement of qualified major projects; third, strengthening scientific and technological innovation, accelerating the development of emerging industries, deeply implementing the AI+ initiative, fostering new forms of intelligent economy, thoroughly implementing the spirit of the national services industry conference, and advancing the mechanism for expanding the services sector; fourth, intensifying efforts to stabilise employment and boost incomes, implementing the action plan for stabilising jobs, expanding capacity and improving quality, formulating and implementing income growth plans for urban and rural residents, strengthening inclusive and basic livelihood programmes, and enhancing social security for vulnerable groups; fifth, consolidating the foundation for safe development, making every effort to ensure supply and stabilise prices of energy resources, grain and other important livelihood commodities, accelerating the construction of a new-type energy system, and working to stabilise the real estate market. [National New Commercial Housing Sales Reached Approximately 1.73 Trillion Yuan in Q1, with the "Little Spring" Rally Driving Month-on-Month Increases in Both Volume and Price in March] On 16 April, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the basic situation of the national real estate market for January–March 2026. Data showed that in Q1, the decline in national commercial housing sales narrowed significantly compared to the first two months. Driven by the "mini spring boom," both volume and price rose in March alone. However, supply-side indicators such as development investment and new construction starts remained in a downward range, with the overall market still consolidating at lows and recovering. Wang Xiaoqiang, chief analyst at Linping Residential Big Data Research Institute, noted that in terms of monthly performance, national new commercial housing saw both volume and price rise in March, with sales area and sales revenue up 10.1% and 10.9% YoY respectively, and an average selling price of 8,870 yuan/m², up 0.7% MoM. Driven by the traditional spring peak season, trading volume in March rebounded significantly from February. However, based on cumulative data, Q1 national new housing transactions remained weaker than the same period last year, with the market still in a consolidation phase. [Zhengzhou Introduces 8 New Housing Policies] On April 10, the Zhengzhou Housing Security and Real Estate Administration Bureau issued the "Notice on Further Stabilizing the Real Estate Market." 1. Supporting young people in home purchases. Financial institutions are encouraged to offer specialized financial products and services to young people under 35 who come to Zhengzhou for employment or entrepreneurship, better meeting their diversified housing credit needs. 2. Strengthening home purchase support for multi-child families. Multi-child families that already own one home locally may apply for housing provident fund loans with a maximum loan amount 20% higher than the family's first-home loan cap when purchasing another commercial residence. 3. Implementing down payment ratios for commercial property loans. Financial institutions are guided to implement the policy of a minimum down payment ratio of no less than 30% for commercial property purchase loans. 4. Clarifying standards for determining the number of homes owned. When purchasing a new home within the city, only the buyer's housing status in the administrative district where the intended property is located will be checked; those with no housing will be recognized as first-home buyers. 5. Optimizing provident fund loan application conditions. Before December 31, 2026, when applicants meet other existing loan conditions and have no outstanding provident fund loan balance, they may apply for housing provident fund loans under first-time loan policies when purchasing upgrade housing. 6. Increasing affordable rental housing supply. Through multiple channels including acquisition, new construction, and conversion, supply will be effectively increased, with 10,000 units allocated in 2026; the application and allocation process will be optimized to improve efficiency and fairness, leveraging housing's role in attracting and retaining talent. 7. Improving supporting public services. Families that have purchased commercial housing and actually moved in may enjoy basic public services such as school district enrollment for school-age children by presenting their online-registered commercial housing sales contracts. 8. Implementing a "one property, one code" system for second-hand housing. Information disclosure in the second-hand housing market will be strengthened, with enhanced property verification and code assignment. Using trading platforms such as "Zheng Hao Fang" and "Zheng Fang Trading Network" to complete ownership verification and generate a unique property verification code, achieving "one property, one code" for second-hand housing. [CRIC Real Estate Research: The top 20 real estate enterprises by new agency construction scale in Q1 saw new contracted construction area up 11% YoY] According to Zhitong Finance, CRIC Real Estate Research reported that in Q1 2026, the top 20 real estate enterprises by new agency construction scale achieved new contracted construction area of 50.437 million m², up 11% YoY. Compared with the 16% growth rate of the top 20 enterprises in 2025, this represented a slowdown of 5 percentage points; however, it was 5 percentage points higher than the growth rate in Q1 2025. Overall, competition in agency construction business expansion remained intense, with deep differentiation emerging among enterprises. [Shanghai Second-hand Home Monthly Transactions Returned to 30,000 Units for the First Time in 5 Years! Multiple New Home Projects Plan to Gradually Reduce Discounts] For the first time in 5 years, Shanghai's monthly second-hand home transactions returned to the 30,000-unit threshold, with the "Golden March" market rally delivering strongly. According to data from the Shanghai Real Estate Transaction Center's official website "Online Real Estate," in March, cumulative online signings of second-hand homes in Shanghai reached 31,215 units, hitting the highest level in nearly 5 years since March 2021. Li Gen, head of Shanghai Lianjia Research Institute, stated that the "mini spring rally" in Shanghai's second-hand housing market in March was robust, with transaction data confirming a strong return of market confidence. Citywide second-hand home trading volume not only grew 6% YoY from March last year but also surged 37% from January this year. The heated second-hand housing market was also gradually transmitting to the new home market. Shanghai Centaline Property data showed that in March, the transaction area of newly built commercial residential properties in Shanghai reached 563,000 m², surging 251.6% MoM, an unprecedented rebound. Notably, as the market recovered, signals of narrowing discounts and stabilizing prices in the new home market began to emerge. Among them, Poly Duhui Hexu had previously announced that transaction prices for townhouse units on sale would be raised by 0.5% across the board starting March 9; starting March 23, discounts were further tightened. In addition, Jinhai Yunshu, Huafa Haishang Duhui, Yijiang Zhendi and other projects also plan to gradually reduce discounts starting April. [China Index Academy: Top 100 Enterprises' Total Land Acquisition Amounted to 146.52 Billion Yuan in January–March] The latest "Top 100 National Real Estate Enterprises by Land Acquisition in January–March 2026" ranking released by China Index Academy showed that in January–March 2026, the total land acquisition amount of the top 100 enterprises was 146.52 billion yuan, down 49.4% YoY, with the decline narrowing by 3.0 percentage points MoM. After the Chinese New Year holiday, land supply and transactions recovered across various regions. Hot topic land parcels were offered in cities such as Shanghai and Hangzhou, and developers' land acquisition intensity rebounded MoM, with the decline in land acquisition value narrowing. In terms of characteristics, premium land parcels in core cities attracted intense competition, with state-owned enterprises remaining the dominant buyers. Voices from Various Parties Rajiv Batra, a strategist at JPMorgan in Singapore, said Hong Kong's property recovery is spreading to major mainland cities, while the lagged wealth effect from China's stock market rebound is helping revive housing demand. "After five years of correction, early signs of recovery have emerged in China's real estate sector in March, potentially approaching a turning point," Batra said. "We are relatively optimistic that China will outperform other emerging markets." Huatai Securities noted in a research report that March real estate data showed marginal improvement in both sales volume and prices, with home prices entering a phase of positive second-order derivative, especially as first-tier cities saw MoM price rebounds, signaling gradual restoration of market confidence. Huatai Securities believes that although the investment side is still hitting bottom, the increasing spontaneity of market recovery has enhanced the sustainability of price improvement and is also expected to bring opportunities for positioning in property stocks. Key recommendations: enterprises with lighter historical burdens or healthier cash flows, preparing for a new round of expansion; enterprises with low valuations and sufficient impairment provisions; enterprises with exposure in regions where the first-order derivative has turned positive; enterprises in existing property transactions and the back-end of the real estate industry chain. CITIC Construction Investment pointed out that in 2025, high-quality development has become the core theme for the property management and commercial management industry. Enterprises have refocused on their core property management service business. As cost reduction and efficiency gains materialize and impairment pressures are gradually released, overall corporate performance has shown positive changes. Enterprise performance has diverged, with some quality property and commercial management companies achieving sustained earnings growth. Against the backdrop of expanding domestic demand, the overall development of the real estate industry continues to be supported by policies. The firm remains optimistic about property management and operational services, recommending leading transaction intermediaries, construction agency service providers, and property enterprises with high service quality and operational efficiency. China Post Securities stated: Overall, the real estate industry is at a critical period of consolidating at lows, structural differentiation, and business model reshaping. The cumulative effect of policies is beginning to emerge, and the worst phase of the market may have passed, but industry recovery will still exhibit structural and gradual characteristics. April to May is a window for trend verification. If a stronger-than-usual off-season with price stabilization materializes, the expectation gap between the "policy bottom" and "earnings bottom" is expected to converge rapidly, improving the risk-reward of positioning for valuation recovery. Conversely, if price pressures intensify, allocation should lean more toward defensive plays and cash flow certainty, with secondary market activity remaining a leading signal. China Chengxin International analyzed in a research report: At the national level, policy guidance in housing and urban construction continues to be strengthened, using "quality housing" construction as the lever to systematically enhance residential quality across standards, design, construction, and operation & maintenance, promoting developers to focus on product quality upgrades. The concurrent urban renewal efforts, leveraging the promotion of mature experience and targeted central fiscal support, have established a standardized and efficient implementation framework, effectively resolving implementation challenges and forming a new development paradigm where housing quality improvement and urban renewal work in synergy. BOC International Securities stated that the property market has seen a "mini spring rally" over the past two months, but its sustainability remains to be observed, with subsequent trends depending on inventory destocking progress and whether prices stabilize. The continuation of the phased recovery also requires stronger policy support. Attention should be paid to the sequence of "late-April Politburo meeting — May ministerial detailed rules — local execution." We expect that the positive stance is likely to continue under the existing "stabilizing real estate" framework, with greater emphasis on implementation and policy coordination. In Q2, attention can be given to high-frequency fundamentals and the pace of local policy implementation, where policy-driven trading opportunities exist. Additionally, a "fundamental inflection point" may emerge around Q4, potentially reflected in a narrowing decline in second-hand housing prices. From an investment perspective, most property developers made relatively large impairment provisions in 2025, and may consolidate at lows in 2026, meaning sector profit margins and earnings could rebound in 2027, thereby driving a reassessment of 27E valuations by the market in Q4 this year. Beyond that, some commercial real estate companies with investment properties have already proactively positioned themselves in new business formats, new models, and new scenarios, making them better equipped to seize opportunities in the new consumption era.

The Chongqing Municipal People's Government issued a notice on the "Chongqing Action Plan for Promoting the Development and Capacity Enhancement of the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle (2026–2030)." The notice stated that efforts should be made to promote the mutual empowerment of artificial intelligence and "Digital Chengdu-Chongqing," explore the coordinated linkage of key elements such as computing power, data, application scenarios, and policy ecosystems between Sichuan and Chongqing, and support AI technology R&D, application, and industrialisation in the Chengdu-Chongqing region. By 2030, the intelligent computing power of the Chengdu-Chongqing computing hub period will reach 100,000 PFLOPS, the city will have built more than 10 AI industry application pilot testing bases, and will have cultivated 20 vertical large models and 5 major projects with national influence, with daily average token invocations leading in western China.

With the rapid development of the global NEV industry and the growing embrace of green and low-carbon concepts, the battery recycling industry is transforming from a marginal sector into a "new frontier" in the capital market, demonstrating unprecedented development potential. This industry, once regarded as merely "selling scrap," has now become a core necessity for safeguarding national resource security, implementing the "dual carbon" strategy, and promoting the sustainable development of the new energy industry, ushering in its own golden era. Strong policy support has injected robust momentum into the industry's development. In February 2025, the General Office of the State Council issued the *Action Plan for Improving the NEV Power Battery Recycling and Utilization System*, requiring the acceleration of relevant regulations and rules to standardize recycling and utilization through rule of law. Subsequently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and other departments, jointly issued the *Interim Measures for the Recycling and Comprehensive Utilization of Waste Power Batteries from NEVs*, setting new requirements across multiple dimensions including power battery traceability, recycling and utilization, and supervision. Driven by both policy and market forces, the battery recycling industry has continued to expand in scale, exhibiting an "explosive" growth trajectory. Currently, the number of battery recycling-related enterprises in China exceeded 200,000. In the first ten months of 2025 alone, over 30,000 new battery recycling-related enterprises were registered, representing a YoY increase of over 15% compared to the same period last year. Top-tier enterprises such as GEM and Tianqi Co., Ltd. have ramped up capacity deployment and capital operations, building competitive barriers through technological upgrades and industry chain extensions. GEM possesses a complete "battery recycling—battery cascade reuse—raw material remanufacturing—material remanufacturing—battery reassembly" full life cycle value chain, with industry-leading scale advantages. It operates 9 major lithium battery recycling bases globally, and its lithium battery recycling volume has accounted for 10% of China's total retired battery volume for consecutive years, ranking first nationwide. As early-stage NEVs gradually retire, the lithium battery recycling industry will accelerate over the next 3 to 5 years, with an annualized growth rate exceeding 50%—a market poised for tenfold growth in 5 years. The industry consensus is that this transformation, jointly driven by price, demand, and policy, is propelling the lithium battery recycling industry from extensive development toward a refined, standardized, and globalized development stage.

On April 21, 2026, the Japanese government adopted a comprehensive action plan to strengthen the domestic supply of recycled metals and minerals. The policy aims to reduce reliance on imported iron ore and coking coal by incentivizing the development of high-efficiency scrap processing and increasing the share of EAF-based steel production in the national mix.

On April 14, a delegation from SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (SMM), including Ye Jianhua, Director and Supervisor of SMM's Industry Research Department, Feng Chundi, Expert at SMM's Industry Research Institute, and Wu Tao, SMM's Copper and Tin Overseas Marketing Manager, visited Chambishi Copper Smelter Limited (CCS) for exchange and survey. The delegation received warm hospitality from CCS's leadership. During the visit, both parties engaged in pragmatic communication based on their respective core businesses. Leveraging its core strengths in non-ferrous metal price index R&D, industry chain big data monitoring, copper market analysis and forecasting, in-depth industry research, and global non-ferrous resource connectivity, SMM shared insights on international copper market operating logic and price trend analysis with the enterprise, in the context of the current global copper smelting supply-demand pattern, raw material procurement landscape, and TC fluctuation trends. As a core copper smelting producer outside China, CCS provided a detailed introduction to its production and operation status, smelting process advantages, capacity release pace, raw material procurement, and product exports layout, and elaborated on the practical experience of ex-China copper smelters in production management, cost control, green production, and localized operations. Meanwhile, both parties exchanged views on common industry topics including development pain points of the copper smelting industry outside China, raw material supply security, finished product circulation and trade, industry policy changes, and low-carbon smelting development trends. They also reached preliminary consensus on future directions such as industry chain information sharing, market data exchange, joint market analysis, and industry resource coordination, laying a solid foundation for deepening regular exchanges and promoting high-quality collaborative development of the copper smelting industry chain. Introduction to Chambishi Copper Smelter Limited (CCS) Chambishi Copper Smelter Limited (CCS) is the first large-scale modern pyrometallurgy copper smelting enterprise invested by China overseas, entirely self-designed and constructed. Located in the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, the company has 170 Chinese staff and 1,600 Zambian employees. The company has always focused on its vision of "building an internationally first-class smelting enterprise with enduring prosperity," upheld the corporate spirit of "self-transcendence, continuous breakthroughs, and pursuit of excellence," benchmarked against first-class standards with meticulous craftsmanship, and continuously strengthened and optimized enterprise management, with its comprehensive competitiveness steadily improving. As of the end of 2024, the company had produced over 3.3 million mt of copper products and 8.7 million mt of sulphuric acid, with cumulative sales revenue of approximately $21 billion, effectively driving local economic development in Zambia and becoming a shining pearl along the Belt and Road! Enterprise History and Development Achievements (Pursuing Excellence, Benchmarking Against the Best and Forging Ahead) To extend the industry chain and retain more added value locally, in 2006, China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. cooperated with Yunnan Copper to introduce the advanced ISA copper smelting process to Zambia, with shareholding ratios of 60% and 40% respectively. From the design stage, the Company drew on successful experience in China and incorporated the characteristics of Zambian raw materials to re-optimize and re-innovate the key processes and technologies of the ISASMELT process, strengthening system integration. This resulted in multiple innovative achievements, including "Integration Innovation and Application of ISASMELT Furnace" and "Comprehensive Automated Control System," which were awarded the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress by China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNIA) in 2010. The ISASMELT furnace campaign life broke world records multiple times, with the second campaign reaching 218 weeks and the third campaign reaching 244 weeks, establishing an international benchmark. In 2021 and 2022, the Company's copper production exceeded the designed capacity of 250,000 mt for two consecutive years, making history. In 2024, production further surpassed 260,000 mt, setting a new historical record. In September 2013, the Company was honored with the title of Advanced Collective of Central State-Owned Enterprises. In July 2021, it was successfully selected as a Benchmarking Enterprise under the administration of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). Process Flow (Dedicated and Professional, Striving for Excellence to Drive Development) The Company adopts the internationally advanced and mature process of "oxygen-enriched top-blown submerged bath smelting, electric furnace settling and separation, PS converter blowing, and anode furnace pyrometallurgy refining" to produce copper anode, and employs the "double-conversion double-absorption" process to produce sulphuric acid. Adhering to the concept of sustainable development, the Company has built a slag flotation recovery system with a daily processing capacity of 1,500 mt of furnace slag, and a bismuth recovery system with a daily processing capacity of 6 mt of flue dust, continuing to recover metals such as copper, cobalt, and bismuth from smelting slag and flue dust. Social Responsibility (Cooperation and Sharing, Giving Back to Society with Strong Responsibility) The Company actively practices its core values of "Dedication, Cooperation, and Sharing," consistently focusing on its core business of copper pyrometallurgy smelting, engaging in extensive cooperation with upstream and downstream clients, and sharing development achievements with employees and local communities. Since its establishment, the Company has cumulatively paid over $300 million in various taxes and fees in Zambia, created over 5,000 employment opportunities, and cooperated with more than 300 local suppliers, contributing to Zambia's green, harmonious, and shared development. The Company actively fulfills its social responsibilities by increasing investment in social welfare programs for local communities in Zambia, covering infrastructure, education, healthcare, and sanitation. These efforts include sponsoring the renovation of clinics in Kalulushi, supporting the Bushifire Orphanage, donating the construction of classrooms at Buyantashi School, Luato Market, Kankuko Bridge, Chibuluma Community Tennis Court, Chimfunshi Chimpanzee Rescue Center, and Modern Stars Football Club, among others. With a cumulative investment of over $4 million, the Company has earned high praise from local government and warm welcome from the public, establishing a strong corporate image. The Company actively promotes employee localization and continuously achieves skills transfer. The company invested over 5 million Kwacha, and externally carried out technical and non-technical training programs in electric welding, electrical power, pneumatics, technical control, management supervision, and equipment maintenance through the China-Zambia Vocational and Technical College, the TEVETA Fund, and other channels. Internally, through mentorship programs and other approaches, the company conducted business training in masonry, fitting, and other skills. The localization rate of the company's employees reached over 92%, the skills of local employees were significantly enhanced, and technical expertise was exported to the DRC. Vision and Outlook (Staying True to Our Original Aspiration, Building Tomorrow with a Shared Destiny) Innovation-driven development knows no bounds. Over the past decade and more, the company has upheld a sense of survival crisis and market competition awareness, adhered to innovation-driven development, and achieved high-quality growth. In 2021, the company's information technology infrastructure was completed and successfully put into use, with a commitment to building an automated, digitalized, and intelligent factory. In August 2023, the company's anode furnace pyrometallurgy refining system technical renovation project was completed and put into operation. In November 2024, the company's three-year action plan for technology-empowered safety and environmental protection was officially finalized, focusing on technology empowerment and fostering new quality productive forces, propelling the company's high-quality development to a new level. Through collaborative development, benchmarking against first-class standards, technological innovation, and increased production and efficiency, the company continues to advance toward its corporate vision of "becoming an evergreen, world-class smelter." The conference is scheduled to be held on September 15–16, 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia. You are cordially invited to participate! Conference Contact : Wu Tao: 18270916376 jennywu@smm.cn