[Guangdong: Prices Consolidate at Highs, Downstream Just-in-Time Procurement]Guangdong 0# zinc traded mainly at 24,650~24,720 yuan/mt, major brand quotations against the 2609 contract were -120~-70 yuan/mt, at a discount of 55 yuan/mt against Shanghai spot, and the Shanghai-Guangdong price spread was flat...

[Tianjin Zinc: Weak Operating Rates in the North, Poor Zinc Ingot Demand] In the Tianjin market, #0 zinc ingot mainstream transactions were at 24,620-24,790 yuan/mt, Zijin traded at 24,760-24,870 yuan/mt, #1 zinc ingot traded at around 24,620-24,730 yuan/mt. Zijin was quoted at a premium of 20-30 yuan/mt against the 2608 contract, Huzinc was quoted at 26,015 yuan/mt, #0 zinc ingot was quoted at a discount of 60-120 yuan/mt against the 2608 contract, and Tianjin was quoted at a discount of around 95 yuan/mt against Shanghai.

SMM July 27 News: Metal Market: At the midday break, domestic base metals were mixed. SHFE copper rose 0.31%, while SHFE aluminum edged lower. SHFE lead fell 1.11%. SHFE zinc rose 0.3%. SHFE tin rose 1.86%. SHFE nickel fell 0.42%. In addition, the most-traded cast aluminum futures contract fell 0.13%, while the most-traded alumina contract rose 0.19%. Lithium carbonate’s most-traded contract rose 0.86%. Silicon metal’s most-traded contract rose 0.24%. Polysilicon’s most-traded futures contract rose 0.15%. Ferrous metals mostly rose. Iron ore rose 0.27%, rebar rose 0.33%, and HRC rose 0.55%. Stainless steel fell 0.34%. For coking coal and coke: the most-traded coking coal contract fell 0.62%, and the most-traded coke contract rose 0.87%. In overseas base metals, as of 11:40, LME metals showed mixed performance. LME copper rose 0.49%, while LME aluminum fell 0.27%. LME tin and LME zinc each rose within 0.5%. LME lead edged lower. LME nickel fell 0.32%. In precious metals, as of 11:40, COMEX gold rose 0.42% and COMEX silver rose 1.1%. In the domestic market: SHFE gold rose 0.87%; the most-traded SHFE silver contract rose 2.97%. In addition, at the midday break, the most-traded platinum futures contract rose 2.31%, and the most-traded palladium futures contract rose 2.22%. At the midday break, the most-traded container shipping (European route) futures contract fell 3.02% to 2,750 points. Selected futures midday prices as of 11:40, July 27: Spot and Fundamentals Silver: Trump suspended airstrikes on Iran, cooling geopolitical tensions temporarily; oil prices tumbled, and inflation and rate-hike expectations eased, while precious metals rebounded. The spot market sustained parity deals, with the weak supply-demand pattern persisting. …… 》Click for details Macro Front China: [ NBS: Profits of China's Industrial Enterprises Above Designated Size Rose 18.7% in 1H; Electronics-Related Sectors Posted Rapid Profit Growth ] On July 27, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released data showing that in H1, amid steady manufacturing growth and a continued rebound in industrial product prices, revenue of industrial enterprises above designated size rose 6.5% YoY, an acceleration of 1.5 percentage points from Q1. Accelerating revenue growth drove profits of industrial enterprises above designated size up 18.7% YoY, accelerating 3.2 percentage points from Q1. By major sector, mining and manufacturing profits grew 33.5% and 20.1%, respectively, accelerating 17.3 and 1.0 percentage points from Q1; electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply fell 4.2%. In June, profits of industrial enterprises above designated size rose 15.1% YoY. In H1, profits of the raw material manufacturing sector above designated size rose 71.7% YoY, boosting overall profit growth of industrial enterprises above designated size by 8.8 percentage points. From an industry perspective, driven by improving demand for non-ferrous metal products such as copper and aluminum, profits of the non-ferrous metals sector rose 99.4%, boosting overall profit growth by 4.7 percentage points; driven by higher prices of products in the petroleum industry chain, the petroleum processing sector swung from losses to a profit YoY, and profits of the chemical sector rose 67.8%. The PBOC conducted 325.5 billion yuan of 7-day reverse repo operations today at an interest rate of 1.40%. A total of 398.5 billion yuan of reverse repos and 400 billion yuan of MLF matured today. US Dollar: As of 11:40, the US dollar index fell 0.26 to 101.22. The market widely expects the Fed to keep interest rates unchanged this week. According to CME FedWatch: the probability of the Fed keeping rates unchanged in July is 63.7%, while the probability of a cumulative 25bp rate hike is 36.3%. The probability of unchanged rates through September is 19.6%, a cumulative 25bp hike is 55.2%, and a cumulative 50bp hike is 25.2%. Data: Today will see the release of data including Germany's July IFO Business Climate Index, the UK's July CBI Distributive Trades Survey balance, the US June durable goods orders MoM, and the US July Dallas Fed New Orders Index. Crude Oil: As of 11:40, oil prices on both sides of the Atlantic fell sharply, with WTI down 4.97% and Brent down 3.93%. US-Iran geopolitical tensions eased slightly, and oil prices fell sharply at the open on Monday as traders assessed Middle East supply risks. With the US-Iran conflict spreading from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, Brent crude has surged about 30% this month, briefly breaking above $100 per barrel last week. The conflict, now nearing the end of its fifth month, has heightened concerns about a global inflation shock as the global fuel market has lost idle capacity while the war drives up prices, and refined product prices have jumped. (Jin10 Data APP) Spot Market Roundup: ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

[Guangdong: Price Center Moves Higher, Spot Transactions Sluggish] Guangdong 0# zinc was mainly traded at 24,720~24,765 yuan/mt, mainstream brand quotations against the 2609 contract were -120~-70 yuan/mt, and at a discount of 55 yuan/mt against Shanghai spot. The Shanghai-Guangdong price spread widened...

[Ningbo Zinc: Downstream Largely on the Sidelines, Overall Spot Trades Sluggish] Transaction prices of mainstream brand 0# zinc in Ningbo were around 24,760-24,860 yuan/mt. Regular brands in Ningbo were quoted at a premium of 20 yuan/mt against the 2608 contract and at a premium of 15 yuan/mt against Shanghai spot cargoes. Quotations in Ningbo were mainly against the 2608 contract...

SMM July 24 News: Metal Market: As of midday, domestic base metals fell broadly. SHFE copper fell 1.21%, SHFE aluminum and SHFE zinc both fell within 0.5%. SHFE lead fell 0.82%. SHFE tin fell 1.59%. SHFE nickel rose 0.2%. Additionally, casting aluminum most-traded futures fell 0.58%, alumina most-traded rose 0.37%. Lithium carbonate most-traded fell 0.74%. Silicon metal most-traded edged down. Polysilicon most-traded futures fell 1.67%. Ferrous metals mostly fell. Iron ore fell 0.8%, rebar fell 0.68%, HRC fell 0.3%. Stainless steel fell 0.91%. Coking coal and coke: coking coal most-traded contract was flat at 1,282 yuan/mt, coke most-traded contract edged up 0.05%. Overseas base metals, as of 11:40, LME metals fell across the board. LME copper rose 0.43%, LME aluminum, LME tin, and LME nickel all fell within 0.5%. LME lead was flat at $1,887/mt. Precious metals, as of 11:40, COMEX gold fell 0.44%, COMEX silver fell 0.88%. Domestic precious metals: SHFE gold fell 2.65%; SHFE silver most-traded fell 4.82%. Additionally, as of midday, platinum most-traded futures fell 4.94%, palladium most-traded futures fell 5.68%. As of midday, the most-traded Europe container shipping futures fell 1.65% to 2,807.5 points. As of 11:40 on July 24, some futures midday quotes: Spot and fundamentals Copper: Today, Guangdong #1 copper cathode spot against the front-month contract: high-quality copper quoted at 190 yuan/mt, down 10 yuan/mt from the previous trading day; standard-quality copper quoted at a premium of 140 yuan/mt, flat from the previous trading day; SX-EW copper quoted at a premium of 80 yuan/mt, flat from the previous trading day. The average price of Guangdong #1 copper cathode was 105,085 yuan/mt, down 1,215 yuan/mt from the previous trading day; the average price of SX-EW copper was 105,000 yuan/mt, down 1,210 yuan/mt from the previous trading day... Macro front Domestic side: [State Grid's fixed-asset investment in H1 up 12.6% YoY] Today, we learned from State Grid Corporation of China that in H1, State Grid completed fixed-asset investment of over 310 billion yuan, up 12.6% YoY. Among them, construction of 15 ultra-high-voltage (UHV) projects and 37 pumped-storage power stations is accelerating. Meanwhile, investment in new energy grid connection projects continues to increase. As of end-June, the new energy grid-connected installed capacity in State Grid's operating area reached 1.55 billion kW. (CCTV) [PBOC net withdrawal of 361.5 billion yuan from the open market today] The PBOC conducted 89 billion yuan of 7-day reverse repo operations today at an interest rate of 1.40%. A total of 450.5 billion yuan of reverse repos matured today. On the dollar front: As of 11:40, the US dollar index fell 0.02 to 101.42. As the threat of escalating war in Iran drove up oil prices, US Treasury yields rose to their highest levels of the year, and markets expected the Fed could raise rates as soon as next week. The two-year Treasury yield, most sensitive to Fed policy expectations, rose about 4 basis points on Thursday to around 4.34%, its highest since early 2025. The 10-year Treasury yield hit a year-to-date high, while the 30-year yield rose to 5.19%, just below its highest level since 2007. As Houthi rebels claimed to have attacked a commercial vessel for the first time in months, Brent crude oil has been slowly rebounding toward $100 per barrel. This rise continues to pressure the US Treasury market and has led traders to increasingly believe that the Fed under Warsh will raise rates soon this year. (Jinshi Data APP) According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability that the Fed keeps rates unchanged in July is 65.3%, while the cumulative probability of a 25bp hike is 34.7%. For September, the probability of rates remaining unchanged is 17.6%, the cumulative probability of a 25bp hike is 57%, and the cumulative probability of a 50bp hike is 25.4%. Meanwhile, initial jobless claims in the US fell sharply last week, indicating that the labour market remains stable and that Fed officials need to continue focusing on curbing inflation. The US Labor Department said on Thursday that initial claims for the week ending July 18 fell by 22,000 to 187,000, compared with expectations of 212,000. Thursday's report was the latest signal of sustained stability in the labour market. The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 4.2% in June, a one-year low, but the decline was more due to a shrinking labour force rather than job growth. The US labour market is exhibiting an unusual balance: limited labour supply, slow job creation, and limited layoffs have kept the unemployment rate at historically low levels. This situation has led a growing number of Fed policymakers to focus more on inflation, which remains well above the 2% target, rather than express greater concern about the strong labour market. (Jinshi Data APP) Data wise: Today’s data releases include Germany's August GfK Consumer Confidence Index, UK June seasonally adjusted retail sales m/m, France July Flash Manufacturing PMI, Germany July Flash Manufacturing PMI, Eurozone July Flash Manufacturing PMI, UK July Flash Manufacturing PMI, UK July Flash Services PMI, US July S&P Global Flash Manufacturing PMI, US July S&P Global Flash Services PMI, and US June New Home Sales Annualized Total. Also worth watching: the AMD Advancing AI conference was held in San Francisco on July 22-23; Intel’s Q2 earnings were released after the US stock market close on July 23. Crude oil: As of 11:40, oil prices in both markets moved sideways, with WTI up 0.01% and Brent down 0.07%. The US-Iran geopolitical conflict continued to intensify. The Houthis announced this week that they had attacked a Saudi oil tanker, formally turning the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea into a new frontline of conflict, putting global oil supply into a “dual chokepoint” predicament. Market analysts warned that if the Strait of Hormuz remained obstructed and a blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait became reality, oil prices risked further surging to $120 or even higher. Rapidan Energy Group President and former White House official Bob McNally said, “The scale of the second round of military conflict will exceed the first, posing enormous risks to shipping and energy infrastructure.” (Wallstreetcn) ANZ: It maintained its forecast of $92/barrel for Brent crude at end-Q3 2026, reflecting an uneven rebound in Persian Gulf oil flows. If regional supply disruptions intensify and market buffers weaken, Brent crude prices could rise to $120/barrel. (Jinshi Data APP) Spot Market Overview: ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

[Guangdong: Price Center Pulled Back, Market Transactions Mainly Based on Rigid Demand] Guangdong 0# zinc was mainly traded at 24,580~24,690 yuan/mt, with mainstream brand quotations at discounts of 100~70 yuan/mt against the 2609 contract, and at a discount of 45 yuan/mt against Shanghai spot cargo; the Shanghai-Guangdong price spread remained...

[Tianjin Zinc: Demand Remains Weak, Market Transactions Thin] In Tianjin market, mainstream #0 zinc ingot traded at 24,520–24,660 yuan/mt, Zijin traded at 24,650–24,740 yuan/mt, #1 zinc ingot traded near 24,520–24,600 yuan/mt; Zijin reported a premium of 10–30 yuan/mt against the 2608 contract, Huzinc at 25,975 yuan/mt, #0 zinc ingot reported a discount of 50–120 yuan/mt against the 2608 contract, and Tianjin market reported a discount of 90 yuan/mt against Shanghai market.

SMM July 23 News: Metal markets: As of the midday close, base metals on the domestic market generally rose. SHFE copper edged down, while SHFE aluminum rose 0.45%. SHFE lead rose 1.02%. SHFE zinc rose 1.47%. SHFE tin rose 0.27%. SHFE nickel rose 1.05%. In addition, the most-traded foundry aluminum futures contract rose 0.5%, while the most-traded alumina contract fell 0.66%. The most-traded lithium carbonate contract rose 4.24%. The most-traded silicon metal contract rose 0.67%. The most-traded polysilicon futures contract rose 0.51%. Ferrous metals all rose. Iron ore rose 1.15%, rebar rose 0.52%, and HRC rose 0.46%. Stainless steel rose 0.61%. Coking coal and coke: the most-traded coking coal contract rose 1.3%, and the most-traded coke contract rose 1.4%. Overseas base metals: As of 11:39 AM, LME metals all rose. LME copper rose 0.27%, LME aluminum rose 0.17%, LME lead rose 0.42%, LME zinc rose 0.75%, and LME tin edged up. LME nickel rose 0.58%. Precious metals: As of 11:39 AM, COMEX gold fell 0.46%, and COMEX silver fell 0.3%. Domestic precious metals: SHFE gold rose 0.86%; the most-traded SHFE silver contract rose 1.55%. In addition, as of midday close, the most-traded platinum futures contract fell 0.1%, and the most-traded palladium futures contract fell 0.38%. As of midday close, the most-traded containerized freight index (Europe route) contract rose 0.92% to 2,855 points. Selected futures midday prices as of 11:39 AM, July 23: Spot and Fundamentals Silver: Amid recurring geopolitical risks, silver prices are consolidating around steady levels. End-of-month willingness to sell from smelters is strong, spot transactions are near parity, and overall demand remains weak... Macro Front China: [The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration issued the Renewable Energy Development 15th Five-Year Plan] The plan states that by 2030, total renewable energy consumption is expected to reach approximately 1.8 billion mt of standard coal equivalent. By 2030, total installed renewable energy power generation capacity is expected to reach approximately 3.5 billion kW, with annual power generation of approximately 6 trillion kWh; total installed wind and solar power capacity is expected to exceed 2.8 billion kW, accounting for over 50% of total capacity, with annual power generation exceeding 4 trillion kWh and accounting for 30% of total generation. By 2030, the scale of non-electricity renewable energy utilization is expected to grow 1.5 times compared to 2025, equivalent to approximately 150 million mt of standard coal. By 2030, the average firm output of wind and solar PV (including source-side energy storage) nationwide is expected to reach 8% (around 11% for wind and 6% for PV), with wind and solar PV (including source-side energy storage) accounting for over 20% of electricity during the evening peak of summer and winter demand, an increase of approximately 10 percentage points. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, over 300 million kW of new reliable peak-shaving renewable energy capacity will be added. (from Wall Street News APP) [Beijing Expands Subsidized Products for the 2026 Consumer Goods Trade-in Program] The Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau issued an announcement on expanding the list of subsidized products for the 2026 consumer goods trade-in program. After obtaining filing confirmation from the Ministry of Commerce, ten additional product categories will be included in the subsidy program. The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows: Subsidies will be provided to individual consumers in Beijing purchasing the following ten categories of products: smart door locks, smart cameras, smart robot vacuums (including smart floor scrubbers and smart vacuum cleaners), smart toilets (including smart toilet seat covers), digital cameras (including action cameras), smart earphones, whole-house smart hosts (including smart home servers and smart gateways), smart beds (including smart mattresses), smart electric wheelchairs, and embodied AI robots (including companion robots, robotic dogs, exoskeleton robots, and elderly care robots). For individual consumers purchasing the above smart home products (including elderly-friendly home products), the subsidy standard is 15% of the final selling price after all discounts, with each person eligible for one subsidized item per category, and the subsidy per item capped at 1,500 yuan. (from Wall Street News APP) [Guangdong: Industrial Robot Production Up 34.2% YoY in H1] According to the Guangdong Statistics Information Network, in H1, the value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size in the province increased by 5.8% YoY. By sector, the value-added of the mining sector was up 8.8% YoY, manufacturing up 5.4%, and power, heat, gas, and water supply up 8.9%. By industry, the value-added of the computer, communication, and other electronic equipment manufacturing industry was up 11.6% YoY, electrical machinery and equipment up 4.2%, and automobile manufacturing up 9.9%. By product, industrial robot production was up 34.2% YoY, and integrated circuits up 29.7%. (from Wall Street News APP) [PBOC Net Drains 422 Billion Yuan from Open Market Today] The PBOC conducted 204 billion yuan of 7-day reverse repo operations today at an interest rate of 1.4%, unchanged from the previous operation. A total of 626 billion yuan of reverse repos matured today. US Dollar: As of 11:39, the US dollar index fell 0.14 to 100.98. On July 22 local time, US President Trump mentioned in a speech in Georgia that a federal government "shutdown" would occur in September due to differences between Republicans and Democrats over spending priorities. On July 21 local time, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term spending bill that will fund federal government agencies through December 4, avoiding a government shutdown due to funding depletion before the November midterm elections. This temporary funding measure, also known as a "continuing resolution," will now be sent to the Senate for consideration. Republican leaders in the Senate are currently negotiating with Democrats and may propose their own short-term spending bill. If Congress fails to pass an appropriations bill in time, funding for most federal agencies and programs will expire at midnight on September 30, the end of the current fiscal year. (CCTV) As energy prices remain elevated, inflation expectations are heating up, and the market is focused on whether the upcoming Fed meeting next week will release clues about the future rate path. According to CME "FedWatch": the probability of the Fed keeping rates unchanged in July is 65.3%, while the probability of a cumulative 25-basis-point hike is 34.7%. The probability of rates remaining unchanged through September is 22%, a cumulative 25-bp hike is 54.9%, and a cumulative 50-bp hike is 23%. Other currencies: Mizuho Securities economist Yusuke Matsuo said Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda is expected to reiterate the stance of seeking further rate hikes at next week's press conference, but this is unlikely to reverse the yen's weakness. "The market has largely priced in the expectation that the BOJ will hike rates once every six months, so such comments alone are unlikely to push the yen significantly higher. Given that the market anticipates clarity on the timing and magnitude of the next rate hike, any stance interpreted as dovish could exacerbate the yen's weakness amid broad dollar strength." The market widely expects the BOJ to keep its policy rate unchanged at 1% at next week's meeting as it assesses the impact of the last rate hike. (Jin10 Data APP) Data: Today, data releases include China's June Swift renminbi share in global payments, Australia's June seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, the UK's July CBI industrial orders balance, the eurozone's ECB deposit facility rate as of July 23, the eurozone's ECB main refinancing rate as of July 23, Canada's May retail sales m/m, the US initial jobless claims for the week ending July 18, and the eurozone's July consumer confidence index flash estimate. Also watch for: the ECB announces its interest rate decision; ECB President Christine Lagarde holds a monetary policy press conference; Google and Tesla reported Q2 earnings after the US market close on July 22. Crude oil: As of 11:39, both benchmarks rose, with WTI up 1.88% and Brent up 1.57%. The US-Iran conflict continues to escalate, and global energy markets are repricing for a protracted supply shock. Both the US and Iran have clearly signaled a refusal to negotiate, reducing expectations for a near-term ceasefire to virtually zero. The rise in oil prices is no longer driven purely by supply-demand logic; a geopolitical risk premium is becoming a structural anchor in the pricing system. (Wall Street CN) Phillip Nova analyst Priyanka Sachdeva noted in a report that if tensions continue to escalate, Brent crude could test $100/bbl. She said that while the market is currently bearing mainly logistical risks rather than actual crude losses, this distinction could quickly narrow if attacks persist. Sachdeva pointed out that the greatest risk for energy markets would be prolonged traffic disruptions in both the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz. She added that the market's flexibility in rerouting cargoes would be very limited at that point, and shipping disruptions could rapidly evolve into broader inflation concerns. (Jin10 Data APP) Spot Market Overview: ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

[Ningbo Zinc: Some traders lowered spot cargo quotes, overall transactions were relatively sluggish] In the Ningbo market, traded prices for mainstream 0# zinc were at around 24,720 to 24,905 yuan/mt, conventional brands were quoted at a premium of 25 yuan/mt against the 2608 contract and a premium of 20 yuan/mt against Shanghai spot quotes, and mainstream brands in Ningbo were quoted against the 2608 contract...