[The purchase price of caustic soda from the mainstream alumina factory in Guangxi] SMM informed that the purchase price of 50% ion membrane liquid alkali standing order of the mainstream alumina factory in Guangxi increased by 450 yuan/ton in April compared to March. And the delivery-to-factory price was 3,500 yuan/ton (price adjusted on a 100% concentration basis).

Supply glut, cautious demand, and fading cost support drag the benchmark contract down RMB 205/mt in the week of March 30 – April

On April 1, 2026, the launch ceremony for the Zhongke Liquid Sunshine (Shawan) Green Hydrogen Coupled Zero‑Carbon Liquid Sunshine Methanol Circular Economy Industrial Project was held in Shawan, Tacheng Prefecture, Xinjiang. As a flagship project of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan strategic hydrogen energy layout, the project has officially entered the construction phase. Led by the research team of Academician Li Can of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and developed by Zhongke Liquid Sunshine (Shawan) Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd . , the project will build an integrated zero‑carbon circular economy system centered on wind‑solar power, green hydrogen, and methanol. It comprises three core modules: an annual output of 3.6 million tonnes of methanol, 13.5 GW of photovoltaic hydrogen production capacity, and an annual output of approximately one million tonnes of coal. Compared with conventional coal chemical industry, this model cuts coal consumption by two-thirds while enabling efficient utilization of green electricity and green hydrogen. The project adopts domestically developed oil‑methanol co‑refining technology to produce polyester fiber, supporting high‑value resource utilization in conjunction with Xinjiang’s textile industry. Multiple enterprises have participated in the joint construction, including China National Chemical Engineering Third Construction Co., Ltd. In alignment with national policies such as the West Hydrogen East Delivery pipeline initiative, the project will help upgrade Xinjiang’s wind and solar energy resources. It is expected to create nearly 2,000 jobs, serve as a model for Xinjiang’s green energy transition, and support national energy security and low‑carbon development.

Next Monday, markets outside China will be closed for one day on April 6 for the Easter holiday, including the LME and other exchanges. Meanwhile, China will also be in the Qingming Festival holiday, with the SHFE and other exchanges likewise closed. In terms of macroeconomic data, key releases include China’s March CPI YoY and the US March non-seasonally adjusted CPI YoY, while the US Fed will also release the minutes of its monetary policy meeting. LME lead, geopolitical tensions outside China have repeatedly resurfaced and the situation remained relatively severe, with the impact on energy, shipping, and other areas continuing. China’s lead ingot import window had remained open for a long time, attracting overseas lead ingot inflows into the Chinese market and reducing spot lead circulation in Southeast Asia and other markets. Especially during periods of rising LME lead, LME Cash-3M contango further narrowed WoW to -$20.77/mt, which will support lead prices to hold up well. LME lead is expected to trade at $1,890-1,965/mt next week. SHFE lead, lead ingot supply is expected to increase in April, but the consumption side is facing the traditional off-season. Coupled with the Qingming Festival holiday, when downstream enterprises will be on holiday, the risk of post-holiday lead ingot inventory buildup will rise, which will weigh on the upward momentum of lead prices. In addition, delivery of the SHFE lead 2604 contract will come onto the agenda after the holiday, and attention should be paid to changes in plant warehouse lead ingot inventory into visible inventory, with caution against lead prices retreating after rapid rise. The most-traded SHFE lead contract is expected to trade at 16,500-16,900 yuan/mt next week. Spot price forecast: 16,350-16,700 yuan/mt. During the Qingming Festival holiday, many downstream enterprises plan to take time off, leading to a temporary absence of lead consumption. Together with the approaching traditional off-season, downstream enterprises will maintain purchase as needed. On the supply side, production at primary lead and secondary lead enterprises will rise steadily, while imported lead continues to flow into China, making it possible for spot discounts for lead to widen.

It was learned that as of April 2, in-factory inventory of major delivery brands of primary lead stood at 16,700 mt, up 150 mt WoW. This week, maintenance and resumptions coexisted among primary lead smelters. Supply was relatively ample in east China and south China, while south-west China was slightly tight due to maintenance factors. At the beginning of the week, lead prices were in the doldrums, and downstream enterprises purchased as needed. During the period, as secondary lead prices were relatively high, downstream procurement tilted toward primary lead. However, in the second half of the week, lead prices rose sharply, and procurement by downstream enterprises weakened significantly, leading to some inventory buildup at smelters. In addition, during the Qingming Festival holiday, primary lead enterprises basically maintained normal production, and the risk of lead ingot inventory buildup increased after the holiday.

[Molybdenum-Iron Steel Tender Information] SMM, April 3: Angang Steel's latest ferromolybdenum tender price was 282,800 yuan/mt (acceptance bill), with a quantity of 210 mt and a delivery date of April 30.

As production order fully resumed after the Chinese New Year, the sodium-ion battery industry chain saw a strong recovery in March. Production across the four major segments—cathode, anode, electrolyte, and battery cell—posted substantial growth both YoY and MoM, with industry prosperity rebounding markedly.

Platinum prices held up well today, with the most-traded platinum contract on Guangzhou Futures Exchange, PT2606, closing the morning session at 502.55 yuan/gram, up 1.84. In the spot market, mainstream quotations for spot platinum in the morning session were at a discount of 5-9 yuan/gram to PT2606, or quoted at 5-9 yuan/gram against the SGE sell-1 price. Spot quotations were still basically flat in terms of discount versus the previous trading day. As for spot transactions, SMM learned that suppliers held prices firm in sales due to costs, delivery intentions, and the closure of overseas markets. In the morning session, spot quotations at a discount of 5-6 yuan/gram to the Guangzhou Futures Exchange were difficult to conclude. Some trading firms engaging in both spot and futures market inquired for spot-futures price spread opportunities, but reported that market quotations were relatively high and that there was limited availability of spot cargo at large discounts. Downstream buyers still mainly stayed on the sidelines, while some just-in-time procurement was concluded after negotiated lower premiums. Overall transactions in the spot market remained sluggish.

This week (3.27-4.2), the operating rate of the brass billet industry came in at 55.16%, rebounding slightly by 0.77 percentage points MoM , with the industry as a whole maintaining a mild trend. Robust demand from downstream refrigeration and heat dissipation sectors provided strong support, while active downstream cargo pick-up for order delivery also drove a slight drop back in finished product inventories at copper billet enterprises. Looking ahead to next week (4.3-4.9), order momentum is expected to cool somewhat from the initial period after the Chinese New Year, but the refrigeration sector will still provide support, and large enterprises will maintain active production. Considering multiple factors, SMM expects the industry's operating rate to edge up 0.32 percentage points MoM to 55.48% next week, with overall operations remaining mild.

[SMM Tin Morning Briefing: The Most-Traded SHFE Tin Contract Opened Slightly Lower in the Night Session and Then Fluctuated Higher, While Downstream Enterprises Mainly Purchased to Restock for Phased Production Needs]