On March 18, the SMM average price of battery-grade nickel sulphate remained unchanged.

[SMM Daily Hot-Rolled Coil Trading] On March 18, the total daily trading volume of hot-rolled coil among SMM sample enterprises in four cities (Shanghai, Lecong, Tianjin, and Ningbo) was 14,430 mt, down 640 mt day on day, or 4.2%, with up 14.43% YoY on a calendar basis and down 26.56% YoY on a lunar calendar basis.

[SMM Tungsten Daily Review: Strong Wait-and-See Sentiment as the Tungsten Market Awaited Stabilization in Transactions] SMM News, March 18 Tungsten market prices were largely stable today, with only minor fluctuations, and the market showed strong wait-and-see sentiment. Trading volume in segments such as tungsten ore and APT was sparse, with transaction prices mostly hovering around the quoted price range. Transactions for downstream products such as powder were also limited, and transaction prices showed a slight downward trend.

[SMM Nickel Flash] March 18 News: The SMM high-grade NPI market sentiment factor was 2.19, down 0.04 MoM; the upstream high-grade NPI sentiment factor was 2.81, down 0.04 MoM; and the downstream high-grade NPI sentiment factor was 1.57, down 0.03 MoM.

[SMM Coking Coal and Coke Daily Brief Review] In terms of supply, coking costs increased and losses widened somewhat. At present, coke producers were barely maintaining normal operating rates, while coke production remained temporarily stable. Meanwhile, downstream demand for coke increased, and coke producers' shipments improved somewhat. On the demand side, steel mills were in an active phase of resuming production, while finished steel prices fluctuated upward and steel mill profitability improved somewhat, boosting production enthusiasm and increasing demand for coke. In summary, the fundamentals of coke supply and demand developed in a positive direction, and the coke market may remain generally stable with slight rise in the short term.

[SMM Daily Hot-Rolled Coil Trading] On March 18, the total daily trading volume of hot-rolled coil at sample enterprises in SMM’s four cities (Shanghai, Lecong, Tianjin, Ningbo) was 14,430 mt, down 640 mt day on day, or 4.2%, up 14.43% YoY on a calendar basis, and down 26.56% YoY on a lunar calendar basis.

[SMM Steel] Tata Steel Limited announced on March 18, 2026, the merger of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nilachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL), to consolidate its long products business. The merger aims to enhance management efficiency and accelerate capacity expansion at the Odisha mill from 0.98 million mt to 4.8 million mt. Additionally, the board approved a $2 billion investment in its Singapore-based subsidiary, T Steel Holdings Pte Ltd (TSHP), starting in FY 2026-27 to support overseas operations, fund capex, and restructure existing debts.

[SMM Tin Commentary: The SHFE Tin Contract Consolidated Near the 370,000 Level, with Market Sentiment Remaining Predominantly Cautious Ahead of the Interest Rate Cut Decision]

[SMM Zinc Morning Comment] Overnight, the most-traded SHFE zinc 2605 contract opened at 23,680 yuan/mt. In early trading, SHFE zinc briefly rose to a high of 23,685 yuan/mt, after which bears added to their positions and SHFE zinc fluctuated downward all the way, hitting a low of 23,440 yuan/mt near the close. It finally closed down at 23,455 yuan/mt, down 275 yuan/mt, or 1.16%. Trading volume fell to 39,416 lots, and open interest increased by 10,738 lots to 91,209 lots.

[SMM Daily Chrome Review: Overseas Ore Prices Continued to Rise, While the Alloy Market Temporarily Remained Stable] March 18, 2026 News: Chrome ore prices continued to rise, while ferrochrome quotations saw no adjustment for the time being...