This week, ferrous metals retreated after a rapid rise. At the beginning of the week, the market said that Asia had shifted to coal-fired power generation due to a natural gas supply deficit, while Indonesia would increase coal production and impose export taxes. The rise in international coal prices was transmitted to China, and coking coal and coke led the gains in ferrous metals; mid-week, the Middle East situation remained volatile, and the U.S. and Iran held differing attitudes toward war, with ferrous metals consolidating at high levels; the pullback in the second half of the week was also mainly due to the weakening of the cost-side logic, as market rumors said long-term iron ore contract negotiations had been completed, expectations for tightening iron ore supply declined, and raw materials turned into the main driver of the pullback. In the spot market, speculative trading and end-user purchase sentiment improved in the first half of the week, while rigid demand remained dominant in the second half, and the spot-futures price spread widened somewhat......

This week, the tungsten market showed a divergent trend with mild corrections in domestic prices and a contrarian rise in overseas APT prices. Domestic tungsten concentrate and midstream product prices remained relatively firm, while scrap tungsten prices dropped sharply as profit-taking emerged. Supported by a tight supply-demand balance, overseas markets strengthened, further widening the price gap between domestic and international markets.

On March 27, at the “Forum on Innovative Development of Cross-Border Data Flows” of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, CAAM and the Beijing Representative Office of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Cross-Border Automotive Data Flows and Advancing High-Quality Industry Development. Upholding the principles of complementary advantages, resource sharing, mutually reinforcing development, and win-win cooperation, the two sides will strengthen policy exchanges in the field of cross-border automotive data flows, promote innovative applications of digital technologies to empower cross-border automotive data flows, facilitate positive interaction between regulatory authorities and industry stakeholders, and provide automakers with more opportunities for cooperation and development.

On March 18th, the handover and trial production ceremony for the graphene-coated aluminum foil production base, a supporting project for the Fengshan Lake New Energy Industrial Park, was successfully held, officially marking the start of the trial production phase. The project has a total investment of approximately 200 million yuan and, upon completion, will have an annual production capacity of 48,000 tons of graphene-coated aluminum foil. The Fengshan Lake supporting production project is a new energy industry project focusing on high-end manufacturing. It is a joint development project between Jiangmen Development Group's subsidiary, Jiangfa Industrial Park Group, and Guangdong Shengkai Metal Industry Co., Ltd.

Recently, a relevant website released the first public notice for public participation in the environmental impact assessment of the "Guangdong Province Spent Lithium Battery Recycling Industry Base Cluster Project (Phase I)" undertaken by a company from Guangdong. According to the public notice, the project is located in Huadu District, Guangzhou City, and is primarily engaged in the comprehensive utilization of spent lithium batteries. Upon completion, using 15,000 t/a of spent lithium-ion battery cells as raw materials, the project will produce main products including ternary battery mixed powder

On March 2nd, information from the Lanzhou Bureau of Industry and Information Technology revealed that a new material company in Gansu recently held a commissioning ceremony in Lanzhou New Area for the first phase of its 100,000-ton-per-year lithium phosphate-based cathode material production line construction project. It is reported that the project covers a total area of 363 mu with a total investment of 3.135 billion yuan. The project is being built in two phases, each with a capacity of 100,000 tons. The first phase, a 100,000-ton-per-year lithium iron phosphate production line, commenced construction in April 2024 and has now officially started production after over a year of construction.

[SMM Steel] India’s Steel Ministry has flagged LPG supply shortages impacting steel plants and conveyed industry concerns to the Petroleum Ministry. Supply disruptions linked to the Iran conflict and prioritization of household consumption have reduced industrial LPG availability. Steelmakers are seeking alternative propane supplies, including from Russia, to maintain operations, while shortages may also affect key inputs such as nitric acid, lime, and ammonia used in stainless steel production.

Concluding our series, we shift focus to 2026's emerging NdFeB growth drivers: robotics, low-altitude economy, and electric two-wheelers. While viewed as the "second growth curve," we analyze their actual demand support amidst current macro and industry cycles to determine if they can offset traditional sector slowdowns.

At the "Forum on Innovative Development of Cross-Border Data Flows" of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, CAAM and the Beijing Representative Office of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Cross-Border Automotive Data Flows and Advancing High-Quality Industry Development

SMM News, March 27: This week, the tax-inclusive ex-factory price of secondary lead was at parity against the SMM #1 lead average price, with slight premiums of 25-50 yuan/mt in some areas. Market wait-and-see sentiment was strong, downstream purchasing was weak, and smelters offered few quotations while generally holding prices firm and being reluctant to sell, resulting in sluggish trading. As of March 27, the theoretical comprehensive profit/loss for large-scale enterprises stood at -229 yuan/mt, and that for small and medium-sized enterprises was -429 yuan/mt (excluding revenue from high-value by-products such as tin and antimony). The rigid inversion caused by high raw material costs and low lead prices was the main reason for the industry's continued losses. After the Qingming Festival next week, more smelters are expected to resume production, and expectations for increased spot supply of secondary lead are strong. However, downstream purchases for rigid demand are limited, making it difficult for spot prices to rise significantly, and smelters' profit margins will remain constrained. At present, supplies of primary lead and imported lead are ample, and spot order premiums for secondary refined lead are expected to maintain sideways movement, with insufficient momentum for substantial premiums. » Subscribe to View Historical SMM Metal Spot Prices