[SMM Flash News] SHFE data showed that as of March 24, the total registered volume of cast aluminum alloy warrants was 42,944 mt, a decrease of 2,047 mt from the previous trading day. By region, the total registered volume was Shanghai (2,755 mt, down 422 mt), Guangdong (17,257 mt, down 210 mt), Jiangsu (4,209 mt, down 813 mt), Zhejiang (13,672 mt, down 483 mt), Chongqing (3,723 mt, down 119 mt), and Sichuan (1,327 mt, increase 0 mt).

Recently, the detailed planning of the Jiangsu 500 kV Qiu Teng-Qinhai-Dongshanqiao line capacity expansion and renovation project was approved. As an important power artery connecting Jiangnan and Jiangbei, the project is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2027, which can improve the transmission capacity of Nanjing power grid at the cross-river node to 800,000 kilowatts, effectively enhancing the interconnection and mutual assistance ability of Jiangnan and Jiangbe power grids.

Recently, China's first water-based organic flow battery distributed energy storage project was officially put into operation in Suqian Economic Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, with a parallel project simultaneously launched in Chuzhou, Anhui Province. The core of this project utilizes water-based organic flow battery technology, where energy is stored in a liquid electrolyte and charging/discharging is achieved through the circulating flow of the electrolyte. By replacing traditional strong acid electrolytes with a neutral aqueous solution, it offers outstanding advantages in intrinsic safety and environmental friendliness.

[SMM Hydrogen Energy Brief] On March 16, Guofu (Jinan) Hydrogen Energy Technology Development Co., Ltd. was established with a registered capital of 2 million yuan, and its legal representative is Ding Leizhe. Equity information shows that the company is 80% held by Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Technology Equipment Co., Ltd. and 20% held by Zhejiang Lingniu Yishi New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.

[Shanghai Spot Copper] Looking ahead to tomorrow, the Shanghai spot copper market is expected to remain in a tug-of-war. Copper prices declined somewhat during the day, and downstream enterprises showed stronger restocking sentiment, but considering the heavy concentrated purchases already made last week, actual incremental buying was relatively limited. Inventory side, according to SMM, combined social inventory in Shanghai and Jiangsu fell by about 41,600 mt, showing a sharp destocking trend. During the day, supplier quotations were steady at first and then declined, with suppliers actively selling as premiums rebounded, and the sell-off put pressure on spot prices. In addition, some suppliers had already quoted against the SHFE copper 2604 contract using cargoes with invoices dated next month during the day, indirectly reflecting moderate sales volume within the month and strong willingness to sell among suppliers. Overall, amid the tug-of-war between faster destocking and supplier sell-offs, Shanghai spot copper premiums are expected to remain at the current level tomorrow.

As supply and demand for construction steel were not fully matched across different markets, regional supply-demand mismatches created price differentiation, which in turn drove the cross-regional circulation of steel resources. When the regional price spread gradient was appropriate, regions with surplus construction steel capacity and production often shipped excess resources out, thereby rebalancing construction steel resources across regions.

SMM News, March 23: Data brief: As of Monday, March 23, SMM copper inventories in major regions nationwide fell 14.54% WoW from last Monday, with all regions posting significant destocking. Specifically, in Shanghai, the arrival pace of imported and domestic supplies remained normal, while downstream consumption continued to recover on the back of the pullback in copper prices, leading to notable inventory drawdowns; in Jiangsu, downstream consumption also improved significantly amid the sharp pullback in copper prices; in Guangdong, downstream consumption remained highly buoyant, and together with tighter supply, spot inventory dropped sharply. Looking ahead, arrivals of imported and domestic supplies are expected to remain stable, with the overall supply side tending to stabilize; on the demand side, the continued pullback in copper prices will further stimulate downstream procurement demand, and rigid demand is expected to continue to be released. According to survey data, the weekly operating rate of copper cathode rod is expected to rise to 83.76% this week, up 2.25 percentage points WoW. Considering both supply and demand, the market has currently formed a pattern of “stabilizing supply and continued recovery in consumption,” and social inventory is expected to continue destocking this week.

SMM Morning Meeting Summary: Overnight, LME copper opened at $11,816/mt. After dipping to $11,798/mt in early trading, its center rose sharply to a high of $12,395/mt, then hovered at highs, and finally closed at $12,221/mt, up 3.27%. Trading volume reached 52,000 lots, and open interest stood at 292,000 lots, down 944 lots from the previous trading day, mainly reflecting bears cutting positions overall. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE copper 2605 contract opened at 95,010 yuan/mt. After the opening, its center moved higher to a high of 95,900 yuan/mt, after which copper prices maintained a fluctuating trend at highs. Near the close, it dipped to 94,530 yuan/mt and finally closed at 93,840 yuan/mt, up 2.12%. Trading volume reached 120,000 lots, and open interest stood at 198,000 lots, down 6,741 lots from the previous trading day, mainly reflecting bears cutting positions throughout the day.

Wanshun New Materials recently announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Jiangsu Zhongji Composite Materials (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., had completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity interest in Eurofoil Luxembourg S.A. held by Aluminium Investment Company Limited. The transaction amount was EUR 12,388,900, marking Wanshun New Materials' further expansion in the international market. According to the latest audit and valuation results, the market value of Eurofoil Luxembourg's net assets was EUR 32,170,300, representing an appreciation of EUR 11,150,100 over its book net assets, with an appreciation rate of 53.04%. This valuation result provided strong support for the smooth progress of the transaction.

[SMM Flash News] SHFE data showed that as of March 20, the total registered volume of cast aluminum alloy warrants was 47,732 mt, down 1,109 mt from the previous trading day. By region: Shanghai (3,692 mt, down 363 mt), Guangdong (17,920 mt, down 392 mt), Jiangsu (5,475 mt, down 568 mt), Zhejiang (15,234 mt, down 1,145 mt), Chongqing (3,934 mt, down 119 mt), and Sichuan (1,477 mt, increase 0 mt).