According to SMM, as of February 27, 2026, the days of inventories for domestic aluminum rod plants were recorded at 12.7 days, an increase of 8.6 days from before the holiday.In the first week after the holiday, the weekly operating rate of the domestic aluminum wire and cable industry rebounded to 57%, up 4 percentage points MoM, significantly higher than the pre-holiday low of 53%.

According to SMM data, the capacity utilisation rate of domestic mines last week was 58.6%, up 2 percentage points WoW. The production of iron ore concentrates was 782,000 mt, up 26,000 mt MoM. In addition, the inventory of mine concentrates decreased by 20,000 mt, with the current inventory at 275,000 mt.

[SMM Weekly Survey on Aluminum Downstream: Slight Divergence in Weekly Operating Rates, Overall Rebound Trend Unchanged] This week, the operating rate of leading domestic aluminum downstream processing enterprises maintained an upward trend, up 0.8 percentage points WoW to 61.6%. In the short term, aluminum processing enterprises continue to recover, but consumption recovery is slightly below expectations. Additionally, high aluminum prices suppress downstream purchase willingness, limiting the operating rates of some enterprises during the week, resulting in a modest overall rebound. SMM predicts that the operating rate will continue its upward trend next week, potentially surpassing the 62% threshold.

March 2, 2025— After the Chinese New Year, the aluminum wire and cable industry resumed production at a steady pace. This week, the operating rate of leading enterprises reached 53%, up 2 percentage points MoM, mainly due to the orderly resumption of work as planned. However, compared to the 60% operating rate in the same period of 2024, the current rate still shows a YoY decline of 7 percentage points. The weaker capacity recovery compared to last year is primarily constrained by two factors: first, the industry's delivery peak has not yet arrived; second, the total volume of pending orders for enterprises is lower than that of the same period in 2024, directly affecting the momentum of operations.

March 2, 2025— After the Chinese New Year, the aluminum wire and cable industry resumed production at a steady pace. This week, the operating rate of leading enterprises reached 53%, up 2 percentage points MoM, primarily due to the orderly resumption of work as planned. However, compared to the 60% operating rate in the same period of 2024, the current rate still reflects a YoY decline of 7 percentage points. The weaker recovery in capacity compared to last year is mainly constrained by two factors: first, the industry's delivery peak has not yet arrived; second, the total volume of pending orders for enterprises is lower than the same period in 2024, directly impacting the momentum of operations.

[Impacted by Intensified Market Competition and Raw Material Price Fluctuations, Ronbay Technology Expects Revenue and Net Profit to Decline in 2024] ① Based on Ronbay Technology's projected 2024 performance, the company expects to achieve a net profit attributable to shareholders of 176 million yuan in Q4 2024, marking the highest single-quarter profit for the year; ② Ronbay Technology disclosed that the second phase of its South Korea plant is expected to commence trial production in H1 this year; the precursor production line is likely to achieve breakthroughs this year; and layered oxide materials are projected to achieve large-scale mass production and delivery within the year. (Sci-Tech Innovation Board Daily)

[SMM Analysis: 2024 Sodium-Ion Battery Review and Future Outlook—A New Wave in the Blue Ocean of Energy] SMM, January 22: In recent years, with the rapid development of new energy technologies, sodium-ion batteries, as an emerging energy solution, are gradually coming into focus. From ESS and electric two- and three-wheelers to power tools, as well as start-stop power supplies and UPS power supplies, the application fields of sodium-ion batteries are continuously expanding.

As a premium partner of the French Tennis Federation, Renault, alongside global autonomous driving solution developer WeRide, is providing the exclusive L4 autonomous shuttle service for the event at ...

[Sodium Battery Cathode: Wuxi Sodium Science Layered Oxide P2 Phase Cathode Has Achieved Tonne-level Shipment] On the afternoon of May 30th, Wuxi Sodium Science announced at the CLNB2024 (9th) China International New Energy Industry Expo hosted by SMM that the company's layered oxide P2 phase cathode has achieved tonne-level shipment. The cathode can be used in combination with lithium iron phosphate in B-class vehicles. At the same time, Wuxi Sodium Science is also making efforts in the research and development and production of polyanionic cathode materials NFPP and NFS. One of the raw materials for the polyanionic cathode material is phosphorus-containing wastewater from the fertilizer industry. The shipment target in 2024 is at the hundred-tonne level.

In the fourth month of 2024, China’s new energy passenger vehicle market achieved a respective 33.5 and 30% year-on-year surge in production and wholesale volumes, which stood at 802,000 vehicles an...