PowerChina Jiangxi Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. has released a negotiation procurement announcement regarding the initiation of procurement for US-standard household energy storage lithium batteries (requiring UL certification) for the Zhixin Household Storage Product Operations Center Project. The procurement covers three package items, specifically: US-standard household energy storage lithium batteries (all requiring UL certification) in three specifications: 5KWh (51.2V 100Ah), 10KWh (51.2V 200Ah), and 16KWh (51.2V 314Ah). The procurement quantities are 5,500 units, 300 units, and 2,000 units respectively, totaling 49.5MWh. The project adopts a batch shipment model, with the delivery location set as Shanghai Port or Shenzhen Port.

[SMM Shanghai Spot Copper] Spot premiums/discounts are still expected to face downward pressure. As the Chinese New Year holiday approaches, market participation continues to decline, with most suppliers and downstream enterprises gradually entering the holiday period, resulting in sluggish overall trading activity during the day. On the supply side, price-ratio cargoes locked in during the previous period of open import arbitrage windows are continuously arriving at ports, leading to significant inventory buildup in the Shanghai area during the day. On the demand side, downstream enterprises have generally begun their holidays due to the approaching festival, causing procurement demand to weaken further. Overall, the market is expected to remain sluggish, and spot discounts are projected to widen further tomorrow.

Recently, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) issued a tender announcement for the procurement of hydrogen production equipment for the AH sub-item of the C-5 project. According to the tender announcement, the project is the Chashma C-5 Nuclear Power Project in Pakistan. The scope of the tender includes the hydrogen production equipment for the AH sub-item of the C5 project, which is a system package equipment and related services, mainly including two sets of hydrogen production (drying, purification) units, two medium-pressure hydrogen storage tanks, one hydrogen distribution unit, and its supporting equipment. Delivery date: [The hydrogen production equipment for the AH sub-item of the C-5 project shall complete factory acceptance, packaging, and be ready for shipment by January 20, 2028.] Party B shall deliver the goods to the location designated by Party A (Shanghai Port or nearby ports such as Taicang Port, Zhangjiagang Port, etc.) immediately after receiving the shipment notice from Party A. This tender does not accept bids from consortia or agents.

[SMM Adds FOB Prices for Chloride-Process Titanium Dioxide] To facilitate upstream and downstream enterprises in the titanium dioxide industry to better grasp the changes in the titanium dioxide market and promptly reflect the spot market prices, reduce transaction risks and costs in the titanium dioxide market, and continuously improve and deepen the research on the titanium dioxide industry chain, SMM has, after a period of accumulation and market surveys, added and released FOB price points for chloride-process titanium dioxide starting from June 19 for market reference.

Against the backdrop of the 90-day window period between China and the US, cargo volumes at ports have recently shown signs of recovery. Liner companies have also taken measures to restore capacity on US routes. "The current container shipping market is volatile and unpredictable. However, one thing is certain: the market demand for transportation this year is strong," Anne-Sophie Zerlang Karlsen, President of Maersk's Asia-Pacific Operations Center, told a Cailian Press reporter. During the "2025 Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation Forum" held from May 27 to 28, Teng Yahui, Director and Deputy General Manager of Ningbo Port (601018.SH), said in an interview with media including Cailian Press that in response to the recent significant reduction in tariff hikes imposed by the US, the volume of containers exported to the US is expected to rebound significantly, with regular operations on US routes expected to resume by mid-June. Based on this, the company plans to take measures such as increasing cabin supply, improving service levels including terminal production efficiency, and strengthening empty container availability. According to Teng Yahui, from January to April this year, Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled 13.568 million TEUs of container throughput, up 9.9% YoY. Among them, the volume of laden export containers for foreign trade increased by over 10% YoY, with emerging market regions such as Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa seeing growth rates exceeding 20%. During the period when the US imposed tariff hikes on China, the company strengthened communication and coordination with shipping companies to ensure that the "quantity decreased slightly, but quality remained unchanged" on US routes. In response to the reduction in cargo sources on US routes, the company collaborated with shipping companies to jointly solicit cargo and actively developed new routes and cargo sources. Cailian Press also learned from Shanghai International Port Group (600018.SH) that from May 19 to 25, Shanghai Port handled 107,000 TEUs of container loading and unloading on US routes, up 75,000 TEUs MoM. As of now, suspended US route flights have been fully restored, with the weekly number of US route flights reaching 42, returning to normal levels. Liner companies are also increasing their capacity investments to ensure transportation. "During the previous tariff shock period, many customers still had shipping demands, so Maersk retained its services on China-US routes. The 'Gemini' alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd has a very flexible route network that can quickly adjust capacity, which is also a major solution the company provides to customers. Through the approach of 'replacing large vessels with smaller ones,' route capacity has been reduced by about 20%," Karlsen said. Currently, the company is fully committed to taking measures to return this capacity to the US route market. Karlsen further stated that Maersk has also been maintaining close cooperation with ports, including Ningbo Port, to facilitate timely adjustments to operational operations (such as adjusting vessel sizes) and improve operational efficiency. Subsequent capacity increases on Maersk's China-US routes will primarily focus on matching cargo owners' demands. Freight rates on relevant routes will be adjusted according to the market supply-demand relationship. As for COSCO SHIPPING Holdings (601919.SH), COSCO SHIPPING Lines has also strengthened market capacity supply by optimizing the layout of main routes, increasing the frequency of services in core markets, and opening up channels to emerging markets. For example, in the US West Coast market, the AAC route has been optimized, with additional calls at Yangpu Port. Due to the current robust market demand and limited supply, spot freight rates are still on the rise. Data provided by Jiyu Technology to a Caixin reporter shows that freight rates for voyages departing in June on the Shanghai-Los Angeles and Shanghai-Long Beach routes have all exceeded $4,500/FEU. The quote for the voyage departing on June 3, which Maersk inquired about today, is $5,205/FEU. Although this is a decrease from the opening price of $6,005/FEU, it is a significant increase compared to the quote of $3,705/FEU for the voyage departing at month-end inquired about on May 16. Regarding the trend in the US trade market, the head of a freight forwarding company in Ningbo revealed to a Caixin reporter: "Our current business volume on the US trade routes has recovered to about 120% of the level before the tariff impact. There are significant uncertainties this year, and shippers tend to ship goods as early as possible. It is expected that the peak season for shipping Christmas goods will also arrive earlier this year." Ke Ansu believes that from now until at least mid-July, the market will see very tight capacity on (US trade) routes. Although it is still unclear how much capacity will be available in the market, strong demand is certain. "Overall, it is expected that there will be a 'small peak' in port cargo volume in June. At that time, the market will have two factors supporting the shipping volume, namely robust shipping demand and an increase in capacity deployment by liner companies," Dai Zhanglu, Director of the Container Center at the Business Department of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co., Ltd., told a Caixin reporter.

【Live Broadcast of the Copper Industry Conference: Prospects for New-Type Power Systems, Copper Wire Rods, and Copper Billets, Latest Technology Sharing, and Discussion on Innovation in Copper Industry Production and Finance】 ►Development Trends of Copper-Based Materials for Winding Wires in the Motor and Transformer Industry ►Prospects for the Development of New-Type Power Systems by 2025 ►Reflections on the Development of China's Wire and Cable Industry ►Green Upgrading of the Electromagnetic Wire Industry in the Context of the New Energy Market ►Impact of the Current Status of the PV Industry on the PV Cable Market ►Building a Service Ecosystem for the Copper Industry to Address Industry Pain Points ►Market Analysis and Future Prospects for Copper Wire Rods in 2025 ►Supply-Demand Pattern and Development of Copper Billets in 2025

IM Motors announced its entry into Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia in 2025. On April 17, IM Motors accelerated its overseas expansion, announcing plans to fully enter Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia within 2025 and cover the entire Middle East region by 2026. The company has already established cooperation with leading dealers in the Middle East. In February this year, the overseas version of the IM LS6, the IM6, was shipped from Shanghai Port to Thailand and began sales at the Thailand Auto Show in March. IM Motors stated that it will further accelerate its overseas market layout in 2025.

【Shanghai Port's Automobile Throughput Reached 3.63 Million Vehicles in 2024】According to official information, in 2024, the automobile throughput of Shanghai Port reached 3.63 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 15%. It surpassed the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium to become the world's number one for the first time. The automobile throughput of Shanghai Port includes imports and exports, domestic trade, and bonded transshipment. Among the total throughput of 3.63 million vehicles throughout the year, the proportion of imports and exports exceeded 60%.

Last week (2025.3.15-2025.3.21) SMM's total steel shipments from national ports were 739.18 mt, up 282,800 mt WoW, an increase of 4%. Among these, the total shipments from the six major northern ports (Jingtang Port, Caofeidian, Bayuquan, Tianjin New Port, Huanghua Port, and Jinzhou Port) were 2.3745 million mt, down 118,800 mt WoW, accounting for 32% of the total shipments. The total shipments from the three major east China ports (Shanghai Port, Zhangjiagang, and Nanbei Port) were 54.53 mt, up 57,900 mt WoW, accounting for 7% of the total shipments. The total shipments from the two major southern ports (Zhanjiang Port and Fangchenggang) were 389,200 mt, down 66,900 mt WoW, accounting for 5% of the total shipments.

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