The 2nd SMM Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain Conference 2025 was successfully held, featuring the on-site launch of 10 new car models, the Southeast Asia brand strategies of three automakers, and SMM Thailand local steel prices. It facilitated efficient negotiations between 12+ buyers and 60+ suppliers, and preliminarily established a communication platform for the entire Southeast Asia automotive industry chain. At present, the NEV industry in Southeast Asia is entering a critical stage of development. Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam each have their own deployments and breakthroughs, while the industry also faces challenges such as supply chain restructuring, competition among technology pathways, and localization compliance. With support from all parties, SMM’s local pricing systems in Thailand and Indonesia have been implemented and adopted by core enterprises, establishing a credible cost benchmark for the industry. The 3rd conference in 2026 will focus on three core priorities: exploring the sales potential of new energy vehicles in Southeast Asia; opening up the last mile of the supply chain and integrating regional industry resources; upgrading SMM Southeast Asia metal quotations from price references to trading benchmarks, implementing procurement applications for electrification materials, and establishing an executable pricing system. We firmly believe that real progress comes from turning consensus into action. At this conference, sincerely invites you to gather again in Bangkok to jointly turn the strategic blueprint into market competitive advantages, and to witness and participate in this extraordinary and far-reaching industry event, creating a brilliant new chapter together! Click to register now. Booth No.: B02 Delivering Power, Delivering Value LANDAI Technology 1996: Establishment 2015: Listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange 2025: Thailand Plant Establishment Products Automotive transmission gear, shaft, balance shaft, EV reducer Employees: 5,000+ Sales : RMB 3 billion Plant Location Chongqing, China Ma’anshan, China Huizhou, China Chonburi, Thailand LANDAI Technology Contact Information Contact www.cqld.com Contact: Frank Xiang Tel: +86-135 2755 6915 Email: frank@cqld.com Contact: Wei Huang 8393 4378 Email: huangw@cqldai.com Contact Us Yan Caowei 15618581967 yancaowei@smm.cn
May 31, 2026 17:27The 2025 2nd SMM Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain Conference was successfully held, featuring the release of 10 new car models, Southeast Asia brand strategies from three automakers, and SMM Thailand local steel prices. The event facilitated efficient matchmaking between 12+ buyers and 60+ suppliers, preliminarily establishing a communication platform for the entire industry chain of Southeast Asian automotive. Currently, the Southeast Asian NEV industry is entering a critical development phase, with Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam each making their own strategic moves and breakthroughs, while the industry also faces challenges such as supply chain restructuring, technology route competition, and localization compliance. Thanks to the support from all parties, SMM's Thailand and Indonesia local pricing systems have been implemented and adopted by core enterprises, establishing a credible cost benchmark for the industry. The 2026 3rd Conference will focus on three core themes: exploring the NEV auto sales potential in Southeast Asia; connecting the last mile of the supply chain and integrating regional industry chain resources; and advancing SMM Southeast Asia metal pricing from a price reference to a transaction benchmark, implementing electrification material procurement applications and establishing an executable pricing system. We firmly believe that true progress comes from turning consensus into action. At this conference, Shenzhen Joinunion Technology Co., Ltd. sincerely invites you to gather again in Bangkok, to jointly transform strategic blueprints into market competitive advantages, to witness and participate in this extraordinary and far-reaching industry event, and to co-create a brilliant new chapter! Click the to register now. Powering Homes and Roads Ahead Union Industry (Hong Kong) Holding Co. , Limited is a professional global supplier of components, focused on meeting the supply chain needs of multinational companies' industrial products. The company has developed a business model driven by a dual engine of '1+6' advanced manufacturing and manufacturing value-added services. By integrating global resources, it provides comprehensive services to customers, becoming a reliable partner for many international companies. To be a global leader in components and sub-assemblies, driving value through manufacturing excellence and end-to-end supply chain management. Process Process Integrated Fine Blanking Post-processing Solution Integrated Post-processing Solution Fine Blanking → Deburring → Sizing → Heat Treatment → Surface Coating → Cleaning → Inspection Clients We Work With Customer We Work With Contact Contact Shirley Wang M: +86 18573109058 E: shirley.wang@unindasia.com Contact Us Yan Caowei 15618581967 yancaowei@smm.cn
May 31, 2026 15:15[SMM Precious Metals Market News] Market sources indicated that Peru had issued an emergency decree on the energy crisis. Given that Peru is extremely rich in mineral resources, with its gold, silver, copper, and other mineral reserves ranking among the top in the world, amid the ongoing energy crisis, some small and medium-sized mines with weaker risk resilience, as well as projects already operating at high costs, may face production cuts or even temporary shutdowns. Therefore, close attention should continue to be paid to the supply dynamics of imported silver concentrates and silver-bearing lead concentrates from the Peru region.
May 11, 2026 21:04Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, announced on Monday (May 11, 2026) that the government is suspending the planned implementation of export levies (bea keluar) on downstream nickel products to develop a more balanced "win-win" formula for both the state and private sectors. While the levy is intended to incentivize smelters to move beyond Nickel Pig Iron (NPI) production, which has currently achieved only 40% of its downstream potential, the government is opting for a "wise" approach following industry feedback.
May 11, 2026 18:20[Tesla Semi Electric Truck Battery Capacity Officially Revealed, Up to 822 kWh] The California Air Resources Board recently confirmed the battery capacity of the Tesla Semi electric truck through regulatory filings, with actual specifications lower than the figures Musk initially disclosed in 2022. According to the documents, the long-range Tesla Semi is equipped with an 822 kWh battery pack, while the standard-range version has 548 kWh. Both car models use Tesla 4680 battery cells with NCMA lithium-ion chemistry.
May 11, 2026 17:59India and Peru are expected to resume negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) in June 2026, according to Peru’s ambassador to India, with both sides also discussing a critical minerals chapter that includes copper supply cooperation. Hindalco Industries is reportedly in talks to source copper from Peru. Peru is the world’s third-largest copper producer, with output reaching around 2.7 million mt in 2024. As India’s electrification and energy transition demand continue to rise, market attention remains focused on Indian companies securing overseas copper resources and long-term supply chains.
May 11, 2026 17:51[Steel Billet Price Adjustment] On May 11, Tangshan Qian'an plain square billet resources were raised by 20 ex-factory, tax included, quoted at 3,120. (yuan/mt) [SMM Steel]
May 11, 2026 17:03[SMM Analysis] Reassessing the Logic Behind Sulfur's "Surge" Driving Nickel Prices Higher
May 11, 2026 16:12SMM May 11 News: Metals market: As of the midday close, domestic market base metals mostly rose. SHFE copper was up 1.01%, SHFE aluminum up 0.86%, SHFE lead edged down slightly, SHFE zinc fell 0.6%, SHFE tin was up 0.38%, and SHFE nickel up 0.86%. In addition, the most-traded casting aluminum futures rose 1.09%, the most-traded alumina contract fell 0.81%, the most-traded lithium carbonate contract rose 3.1%, the most-traded silicon metal contract rose 1.66%, and the most-traded polysilicon futures fell 2.8%. Ferrous metals mostly rose. Iron ore was up 0.86%, rebar up 0.52%, hot-rolled coil up 0.46%, and stainless steel down 0.07%. Coking coal and coke: the most-traded coking coal contract rose 0.85%, and the most-traded coke contract rose 1.65%. Overseas market base metals, as of 11:46, LME metals were nearly all up. LME copper rose 0.59%, LME aluminum up 0.67%, LME zinc down 0.31%, LME lead edged up slightly, LME tin up 1.16%, and LME nickel up 1.29%. Precious metals, as of 11:46, COMEX gold fell 0.77% and COMEX silver rose 0.66%. Domestic market precious metals: the most-traded SHFE gold contract fell 0.96%, and the most-traded SHFE silver contract rose 0.68%. In addition, as of the midday close, the most-traded platinum futures rose 0.14%, and the most-traded palladium futures fell 0.62%. As of the midday close, the most-traded Europe containerized freight index contract rose 5.07% to 2,474.5 points. As of 11:46 on May 11, midday futures quotes for selected contracts: Spot and Fundamentals Lead: An SMM survey showed that in April, refined lead supply from secondary lead enterprises edged up MoM, mainly driven by production resumptions at previously idled enterprises and restocking of raw materials to boost output... Macro Front China: [NBS: April CPI Up 1.2% YoY, PPI Up 2.8% YoY, PPI Growth Expanded] NBS data showed that in April 2026, the national consumer price index rose 1.2% YoY. Among them, urban areas were up 1.2% and rural areas up 1.0%; food prices fell 1.6%, while non-food prices rose 1.8%; consumer goods prices rose 1.4%, and services prices rose 0.9%. On average from January to April, the national CPI was up 0.9% YoY. In April, the national CPI rose 0.3% MoM. Among them, urban areas were up 0.3% and rural areas up 0.1%; food prices fell 1.6%, while non-food prices rose 0.7%; consumer goods prices rose 0.1%, and services prices rose 0.5%. In April 2026, national industrial producer ex-factory prices rose 2.8% YoY and 1.7% MoM. Industrial producer purchase prices rose 3.5% YoY and 2.1% MoM. For the January–April average, industrial producer ex-factory prices were up 0.2% from the same period last year, and industrial producer purchase prices were up 0.5%. Dong Lijuan, Chief Statistician of the Urban Division of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), interpreted the April 2026 CPI and PPI data. The main characteristics of PPI MoM movements this month were as follows: First, international input factors drove up prices in China's petroleum-related industries. Rising international crude oil prices drove up prices in domestic petroleum-related industries. Specifically, prices in the petroleum and natural gas extraction industry rose 18.5% MoM, petroleum, coal, and other fuel processing industry prices rose 16.4%, chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing prices rose 8.3%, chemical fiber manufacturing prices rose 5.6%, and rubber and plastics products industry prices rose 1.7%. Second, increased demand in some domestic industries drove prices higher. Rapid growth in computing power demand and accelerated electrification pushed optical fiber manufacturing prices up 22.5% MoM, external storage devices and components prices up 3.2%, and non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing industry prices up 0.2%. Restocking demand for thermal coal was released, combined with increased non-power coal demand from chemical and metallurgical industries, driving coal mining and washing industry prices up 1.9%. Continued advancement of manufacturing equipment upgrades drove increased steel demand, pushing ferrous metals smelting and rolling processing industry prices up 0.6%. Third, competition order in the Chinese market continued to improve, with prices in related industries rising or declines narrowing. Efforts to address "involution-style" competition continued to show results, with lithium-ion battery manufacturing prices up 1.6% MoM, new energy vehicle manufacturing prices down 0.1%, with the decline narrowing by 0.7 percentage points from the previous month. The PBOC conducted 500 million yuan in 7-day reverse repo operations today. As no reverse repos matured today, a net injection of 500 million yuan was achieved. US dollar: As of 11:46, the US dollar index was up 0.24% at 98.08. Data from the US Department of Labor showed that US April non-farm payrolls added 115,000 jobs, far exceeding expectations, thanks to strong corporate earnings and enterprises' effective response to supply chain disruptions triggered by the Iran war. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, in line with economists' expectations. From trade to immigration to tax policy, changes across various fronts posed challenges for enterprises, but most did not resort to large-scale layoffs. At the same time, enterprises appeared to take various intertwined headwinds in stride. Robust consumer demand meant that despite news of high-profile layoffs at well-known companies, low hiring was often accompanied by relatively low levels of layoffs. Data from the Department of Labor and human resources firm ADP earlier this week showed that the job market was stabilizing. Strong hiring in healthcare and social assistance also underpinned overall employment figures. US equities at or near record highs boosted confidence among corporate CEOs. The full impact of the conflict with Iran and the resulting rise in energy prices had yet to manifest in the labour market. Rising US oil prices had put greater pressure on lower-income households, which could dampen travel and services spending, in turn dragging on hiring in sectors such as retail and leisure. The impact of higher oil prices was particularly severe for airlines. However, these effects had yet to show up clearly in monthly employment data. According to the CME "Fed Watch": the probability of the US Fed holding rates unchanged through June was 93.8%, with a 6.2% probability of a cumulative 25 basis point interest rate cut. The probability of the US Fed holding rates unchanged through July was 88.8%, with a 10.8% probability of a cumulative 25 basis point cut and a 0.3% probability of a cumulative 50 basis point cut. (Jin10 Data) Goldman Sachs expects the US Fed to cut interest rates by 25 basis points each in December 2026 and March 2027, compared with its previous forecast of cuts in September and December this year. A CITIC Securities research report noted that US nonfarm payrolls in April 2026 came in above expectations, while the unemployment rate of 4.3% was in line with expectations. We believe April data better reflected the current state of the US job market than the previous two months: first, one-off factors diminished in April; second, the enterprise response rate was higher in April; and third, the Birth-death model impact was the smallest among the last four data releases. Demand side, the US labour market in April exhibited overall resilience with marginally increasing layoff pressure. Supply side, the labour force participation rate and employment-population ratio declined, but the prime-age (25–54) participation rate remained stable, suggesting it was not a large-scale exit of core labour force but rather aging and retirement factors dragging down the overall participation rate. Regarding US Fed monetary policy, we maintain our previous view: after Waller takes over, if the Iran situation eases and oil prices pull back, driving inflation expectations lower, the base case for H2 is one interest rate cut of 25 bps. Other currencies: Bearish yen positions decreased significantly after Japanese authorities intervened to support the yen, highlighting how official action curbed this crowded trade. According to data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), leveraged funds reduced their net short positions on the yen in the week ending May 5. Currently, their net short position in the Japanese yen stood at 61,340 contracts, valued at approximately $4.9 billion, hitting the lowest level in nearly a month. Meanwhile, asset management firms also cut 13,839 short contracts, bringing their open interest down to 10,653 contracts. "Given the intervention risk and strong official warnings, chasing yen shorts near the 160 level has become unattractive," said Stefan Rittner, Senior Portfolio Manager at Allianz Global Investors. He held a neutral stance on the USD/JPY exchange rate. However, he noted that "despite the yen's already cheap valuation, persistent structural headwinds limit the scope for a sustained rebound"; moreover, further intervention risks are expected to rise once the USD/JPY rate approaches its previous highs again. (Jin10 Data) On the macro front: Data to be released today include US April existing home sales annualized total and China's April M2 money supply year-on-year. In addition, attention should be paid to: US Treasury Secretary Bessent's visit to Japan, where he will meet with the Japanese Prime Minister, the central bank governor, and the Finance Minister. Crude oil: As of 11:46, oil prices in both markets surged significantly, with WTI up 4.65% and Brent up 4.17%. Renewed tensions between the US and Iran supported oil prices. According to Xinhua News Agency, US President Trump posted on social media on May 10, expressing dissatisfaction with Iran's response, calling it "completely unacceptable." This statement cast a shadow over the already fragile Middle East ceasefire situation. Oil prices jumped sharply after the news broke. (Wallstreetcn) Data from shipping intelligence firm Kpler showed that two more fully loaded crude oil tankers switched off their trackers while passing through the Strait of Hormuz last week to evade Iranian attacks. Data indicated that the very large crude carrier "Basrah Energy" loaded 2 million barrels of Upper Zakum crude oil from ADNOC's Zirku terminal on May 1 and passed through the Strait of Hormuz on May 6. The vessel discharged its cargo at the Fujairah tanker terminal on May 11. It remained unclear which company chartered the tanker owned and managed by shipping company Sinokor. ADNOC and its buyers had recently dispatched tankers through the Strait of Hormuz on multiple occasions to transport crude oil, in response to the issue of stranded oil in the Persian Gulf caused by Middle East conflicts. Another very large crude carrier, Kiara M, switched off its transponder and departed the Persian Gulf on Sunday, carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil. The discharge destination of this San Marino-flagged tanker remained unclear. (Jin Shi Data) Spot Market Overview: ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►
May 11, 2026 14:31Rio Tinto is considering increasing its stake in the Los Azules copper project in Argentina. The project is regarded as one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper deposits and is expected to begin production in 2030, with average annual copper cathode output estimated at approximately 204,800 mt during its first five years of operation. Rio Tinto currently holds around 17.2% of project developer McEwen Copper through its Nuton venture, while Stellantis is also among the project’s key shareholders. Market attention remains focused on major mining companies continuing to strengthen investments in high-quality global copper resources.
May 11, 2026 09:44