According to China News Service, on April 16, at the plant of Jiuquan Iron and Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. in Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province, automated equipment was producing a new generation of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products. It was reported that the group assembled a specialized team to tackle zinc-aluminum-magnesium technology. Against the backdrop of formidable external technical barriers and the absence of batch production track records in China, the team spent six years of intensive efforts to produce China's first coil of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products with proprietary intellectual property rights. At the end of 2025, JISCO's new generation of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products was unveiled. This product category represents the most technically challenging variety in the hot-dip galv

According to China News Service, on April 16, at the plant of Jiuquan Iron and Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. in Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province, automated equipment was producing a new generation of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products. It was reported that the group assembled a specialized team to tackle zinc-aluminum-magnesium technology. Against the backdrop of formidable external technical barriers and the absence of batch production track records in China, the team spent six years of intensive efforts to produce China's first coil of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products with proprietary intellectual property rights. At the end of 2025, JISCO's new generation of zinc-aluminum-magnesium products was unveiled. This product category represents the most technically challenging variety in the hot-dip galvanizing industry. JISCO is the only company in China to have achieved large-scale batch production, filling the technological gap in related fields in China. The products have been successfully applied in highly corrosive environments such as cooling towers, motor housings, energy storage, and offshore PV, and have been exported to multiple countries including Thailand, the Philippines, and Argentina.

European distribution grid investment surged 51% between 2021 and 2024, reaching €35.3 billion annually, and is projected to hit €46.7 billion by 2027, according to a new ACER report. While spending is rising, ACER warns that fragmented planning, a persistent bias toward physical infrastructure over flexibility, and uneven digitalization are hindering progress. Nearly two-thirds of DSOs are currently exempt from mandatory network development plans, creating structural gaps in grid readiness. As solar and storage applications skyrocket—with the UK seeing a 460% surge in early 2025—grid constraints remain a critical bottleneck for the continent's clean energy goals.

The gold price is currently in a field of tension that appears contradictory at first glance:

To further strengthen its market coverage and customer service capabilities in Latin America, Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) is pleased to announce the appointment of external consultant Mr. Marcio Goto, a senior mining engineer and mining economics expert, as Regional Manager for Latin America.

[SMM Tin Morning Brief: The Most-Traded SHFE Tin Contract Fluctuated Upward in the Night Session, Spot Market Expected to See Sluggish Trading]

South32’s Hermosa project in Arizona has been notified of a US$166 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support development of a commercial-scale battery-grade manganese facility. The funding will support construction of a key part of the project, which aims to strengthen U.S. domestic supply of critical battery materials for EV and energy storage applications. According to the project timeline, early development and construction activities are progressing through 2025–2027, with zinc-production targeted around 2027.

The CLNB 2026 Solid-State Battery Conference was held in Suzhou in April, where experts reached a consensus that 2026-2030 will be a critical period for industrialisation. The conference focused on breakthroughs in technology pathways such as oxide and sulphide, elaborating on progress in mass production of lithium sulphide, innovations in high-specific-energy cathodes, and upgrades in equipment and processes.

[SMM Platinum & Palladium Weekly Review] This week (April 6 – April 10), on China's Guangzhou Futures Exchange, the most-traded platinum contract PT2606 opened at 502.9 yuan/gram and closed at 521.45 yuan/gram, up 19.2 yuan/gram or 3.82% from last week's settlement price, with a highest price of 529.5 yuan/gram and a lowest price of 496.65 yuan/gram; the most-traded palladium contract PD2606 opened at 377.85 yuan/gram and closed at 385.05 yuan/gram, up 7.65 yuan/gram or 2.03% from last week's settlement price, with a highest price of 399.85 yuan/gram and a lowest price of 366.2 yuan/gram. Futures trading: the most-traded platinum contract PT2606 recorded a total weekly trading volume of 18,133 lots with a total turnover of 9.348 billion yuan and open interest of 15,303 lots, a WoW decrease of 1,287 lots. The most-traded palladium contract PD2606 recorded a total weekly trading volume of 11,379 lots with a total turnover of 4.348 billion yuan and open interest of 7,216 lots, a WoW increase of 88 lots. US-Iran conflict, Israel launched its most intense airstrikes on Lebanon to date. On April 9, the Speaker of Iran's Parliament issued a statement saying that three key provisions in the proposal (comprehensive ceasefire, airspace security, and uranium enrichment rights) had been violated before negotiations even began, and under such circumstances, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations would be unreasonable. Iranian media issued a statement claiming the Strait of Hormuz had been fully closed. US Fed monetary policy, Fed Vice Chair Jefferson noted that employment faced downside risks while inflation faced upside risks. Nick Timiraos wrote that the ceasefire agreement made the US Fed's decision-making more difficult, as energy fluctuations persisted, leading to a prolonged period of rates being held steady. Tariff side, tariff policy has been one of the core political assets during Trump's administration. If high tariffs cannot be maintained through legal channels, his political influence and foreign negotiation leverage will be significantly weakened. After the "reciprocal tariffs" were overturned by the Supreme Court, the Trump administration implemented temporary tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Expansion Act in the short term to fill the policy vacuum, and in the medium and long-term may rely on Sections 232 and 301 to sustain a high-tariff policy framework, while threatening on social media to impose 50% tariffs on countries providing military weapons to Iran. Against this backdrop, the final determination in the anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations on Russian unwrought palladium is highly likely to maintain the affirmative conclusions of the preliminary ruling. Additionally, the tariff illegality ruling triggered massive tax refund pressures, exacerbating the US fiscal burden, and after geopolitical premiums are digested, will reinforce the "weak US dollar" logic. Palladium new demand, attention should be paid to China's fiberglass industry's transition from platinum to palladium. Starting April 2026, full-year testing will be conducted, and if successful, annual demand could reach 800,000 ounces, potentially offsetting declining demand from the automotive industry. Watch for palladium test results in the fiberglass sector. Watch for the US International Trade Commission's final-stage injury hearing on the palladium anti-dumping and countervailing duty case on April 27. Watch for the transition following LBMA's appointment of IBA as the platinum and palladium price auction administrator.

[Peru Zinc Concentrates Production] According to data from Peru's mining statistical bulletin, Peru's zinc concentrates production in February 2026 was 108,300 mt, up 1.3% MoM and down 2.7% YoY. Total zinc concentrates production from January to February 2026 was 213,600 mt, up 0.8% YoY on a cumulative basis.