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

The Democratic Republic of Congo is reportedly ready to approve the sale of Chemaf to US-based Virtus Minerals, advancing a strategic minerals partnership between Washington and the African nation. Congo’s mines minister, Louis Watum, notified Virtus last week that the government intends to clear the takeover, according to sources cited by Bloomberg News, marking a key step in a deal involving one of the country’s most contested mining assets.

National Aluminium Company (NALCO) reported that its 130 kWp rooftop solar project in the Damanjodi mining area had officially commenced operations. Meanwhile, the smelter's 960 electrolytic cells continued to operate at full capacity, with an annual operating scale of approximately 460,000 mt. At present, NALCO is expected to add 500,000-600,000 mt of aluminum capacity. The project is currently in the feasibility study and environmental impact assessment (EIA) stage; however, its progress is constrained by the construction schedule of the power plant.

The construction and trial operation of the second phase of the Mirador Copper Mine project under Tongling Nonferrous Metals have been completed, and the signing of its Mining Contract is currently being advanced.

Recently, two hydrogen-powered excavators, two hydrogen-powered loaders, and four hydrogen-powered wide-body mining trucks were officially put into operation in the Jinshan mining area, marking the implementation of the integrated “production, storage, refueling, transportation, and use” layout of Daye’s hydrogen energy industry in the application segment. This achieved the large-scale use of hydrogen-powered heavy engineering equipment in mining areas across China and injected new momentum into the green, low-carbon transformation of mines. As core equipment developed by Taiyuan Heavy Machinery, the TZ350EH hydrogen-powered excavator and TZ958EH hydrogen-powered loader worked in coordination with hydrogen-powered wide-body mining trucks, covering the entire process of mining, loading, and transportation. The equipment emitted only pure water, thoroughly improving the operating environment of traditional mining areas. This batch of hydrogen-powered equipment was deeply optimized for the complex working conditions of mines, with prominent core advantages: the hydrogen-powered excavator featured zero emissions and low noise, and could operate at full load after just five minutes of hydrogen refueling; the hydrogen-powered loader integrated hydrogen power with heavy-load performance and, equipped with proprietary technology, reduced consumption and improved efficiency; the hydrogen-powered wide-body mining truck offered fast energy replenishment, a high energy recovery rate, and excellent low-temperature starting performance, laying a solid foundation for green transportation. This large-scale deployment enabled hydrogen-powered equipment to undergo practical verification in real mining scenarios. It not only opened up a new path for the clean replacement of mining equipment, but also stabilized market demand for upstream hydrogen production, storage, and transportation, promoted coordinated development across the upstream and downstream segments of the hydrogen energy industry chain, and provided a replicable and scalable practical model for transforming traditional mining areas into green and intelligent mines.

A landslide occurred in the Saffi copper-cobalt mining area in the DRC, and at least 12 artisanal miners were tragically killed. According to the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Assistance and Supervision Service, heavy rainfall destabilized the ground, triggering the landslide that buried workers at the mining site. As of press time, 9 bodies had been recovered, and rescue teams were still searching for other victims who might have been trapped beneath the debris.

SMM, March 18: The most-traded SHFE lead 2604 contract opened at 16,695 yuan/mt during the day, with prices fluctuating rangebound in the 16,665–16,720 yuan/mt range in early trading. Before noon, SHFE lead prices rose rapidly and touched a high of 16,785 yuan/mt before pulling back amid fluctuations. The tug-of-war between longs and shorts intensified, and prices remained rangebound within 16,610–16,680 yuan/mt before closing at 16,645 yuan/mt, posting a small bullish candlestick, up 45 yuan/mt, or 0.27%. At present, lead prices have stopped falling and rebounded, gradually returning to being driven by fundamentals. On the supply side, ex-works inventory at primary lead smelters continued to be digested, and some suppliers held prices firm in spot lead shipments, providing relatively strong spot support; willingness to sell among secondary lead suppliers diverged, and most enterprises became more reluctant to sell due to losses combined with bullish expectations, leading to a continued contraction in effective market supply. On the demand side, orders from downstream battery plants increased, and production remained at full capacity, providing positive support for lead prices. However, social inventory of lead ingot is still on an upward trend. In addition, as more smelters resume production in mid-to-late March and capacity is gradually released, market circulation will further increase, and lead prices are expected to have limited upward momentum. Data source statement: Except for public information, all other data is processed and derived by SMM for reference only based on public information, market communication, and SMM's internal database models, and does not constitute decision-making advice.

[SMM Tin Morning Brief: The Most-Traded SHFE Tin Contract Fluctuated Downward After Opening in the Night Session, and Spot Transactions Were Relatively Sluggish]

[SMM Zinc Morning Comment] Overnight, the most-traded SHFE zinc 2605 contract opened at 23,680 yuan/mt. In early trading, SHFE zinc briefly rose to a high of 23,685 yuan/mt, after which bears added to their positions and SHFE zinc fluctuated downward all the way, hitting a low of 23,440 yuan/mt near the close. It finally closed down at 23,455 yuan/mt, down 275 yuan/mt, or 1.16%. Trading volume fell to 39,416 lots, and open interest increased by 10,738 lots to 91,209 lots.

Gold is a widely known safe-haven asset and tends to benefit during geopolitical turmoil, but the metal has remained largely range-bound amid the latest Middle East conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.