[Imported Zinc Concentrate Market] Recently, typhoon weather in Australia has continued to disrupt zinc concentrate transportation, and expectations of tight imported zinc concentrates are expected to persist. Traders in the market have continued to lower TC quotations, and currently quotations for zinc-rich concentrates on spot cargo vessels have fallen to negative levels.

[SMM Brass Bar Flash News] Affected by tight recycled brass raw materials supply, brass billet enterprises' raw material inventory remained at a medium level of 4.4 days; finished product inventories edged up to 5.25 days due to a slowdown in downstream cargo pick-up.

According to data released by the SHFE on March 20, SHFE copper warrants fell sharply across the board during the day, with total inventory down 18,528 mt from the previous trading day. The decline widened markedly from the previous trading day, and the degree of destocking further strengthened. By region, warrants in major consumption areas posted significant declines: Shanghai down 10,283 mt, Guangdong down 2,654 mt, and Jiangsu down 5,591 mt. Copper prices extended their decline during the day, and downstream enterprises showed strong enthusiasm for buying the dip. Suppliers actively made shipments as spot discounts narrowed, and a large volume of warrant cargo flowed out and was absorbed by downstream enterprises, reflecting the attractiveness of current price levels to downstream enterprises.

【SMM Copper Inventory Flash】This week, SMM copper cathode social inventory in major regions continued to decline. After delivery concluded, arrivals of domestic cargo were relatively limited, while downstream consumption steadily recovered, significantly accelerating the pace of warehouse withdrawals.

【SMM Copper Cathode Rod Flash News】Copper prices pulled back sharply and fell below the 96,000 yuan/mt mark, prompting downstream enterprises to engage in concentrated procurement, while new orders received by copper cathode rod enterprises increased significantly starting from the night session. To manage the pace of taking orders, enterprises raised processing fees one after another; meanwhile, due to the surge in order volumes and concerns over downstream cargo pick-up progress, some enterprises have already increased deposits to control risks.

[SMM Cast Aluminum Alloy Morning Comment: Overnight Aluminum Futures Closed Lower, Spot Cargo Under Short-Term Pressure] On Wednesday, the ADC12 market generally showed a downward trend, with mainstream producers broadly lowering quotes by 100 yuan/mt. This price adjustment was mainly driven by the pullback in aluminum prices, which weakened cost support. Enterprises accordingly adjusted their quotes in line with market changes, but the overall magnitude of the adjustment remained relatively restrained, indicating a rather cautious market sentiment.

[Shanghai Spot Copper] Intraday trading in the spot market improved somewhat from yesterday. Suppliers still showed willingness to hold prices firm, but some suppliers’ sell-offs temporarily weighed on the market, causing spot premiums to decline somewhat in the second trading session. Coupled with the narrowing Contango price spread between nearby futures contracts, suppliers’ willingness to ship to delivery warehouses weakened somewhat, and spot premiums remained under pressure. Demand side, as copper prices fell, downstream enterprises may have had some restocking demand, but the current copper prices had limited actual appeal. Supply side, social inventory remained at a high level, but spot cargo available for actual circulation was relatively tight. Some warrants were already seen flowing out during the day, which may ease some pressure on spot supply. Meanwhile, the import window remained open, and expectations for subsequent inflows of cargo from outside China increased. Overall, amid the tug-of-war between sellers and buyers, Shanghai spot copper is expected to maintain the current discount structure overall tomorrow.

[Zinc Prices Fell During the Week, Guangdong Spot Premiums Rose] Guangdong premiums rose 20 yuan/mt WoW this week. As of this Friday, mainstream 0# zinc in Guangdong was quoted at discounts of 0 to premiums of 40 yuan/mt against the market, and the Shanghai-Guangdong price spread continued to widen......

SMM News, March 20: This week, secondary refined lead was mostly quoted at premiums of 0-75 yuan/mt against the SMM #1 lead average price, with some cargoes available for delivered premiums of 50 yuan/mt. Affected by falling lead prices, downstream wait-and-see sentiment, and relatively cautious procurement, suppliers showed weak willingness to sell, and overall market transactions were sluggish. This week, secondary lead smelters lowered scrap battery purchase prices, easing raw material cost pressure, and losses narrowed WoW; as of March 20, 2026, the theoretical comprehensive profit/loss for large-scale enterprises stood at -337 yuan/mt, versus -541 yuan/mt for small and medium-sized enterprises (the model's by-product revenue did not include tin and antimony). As smelters that resumed production continued to release capacity, ample supply weighed on lead prices. Combined with the wide range of cargo types available to downstream enterprises, spot order premiums for secondary refined lead are expected to narrow next week, while actual prices will still depend on changes in raw material costs. > Subscribe to View Historical SMM Metal Spot Prices

During the day, the SHFE 2604 copper contract extended its downward trend, with the trading range falling further to 95,500-96,000 yuan/mt. The center of copper prices continued to move lower, stimulating restocking demand from downstream enterprises. Suppliers accordingly held prices firm, with standard-quality copper such as JCC and Lufang quoted at parity, while other brands such as Tiefeng, OLYDA, and Zijin were successively traded at discounts of 40 yuan/mt to 20 yuan/mt. Overall transaction pace was smooth. According to SMM, order volumes at most downstream enterprises surged significantly from the previous period, and end-user cargo pick-up also improved. The pullback in copper prices increased their attractiveness to enterprises, and purchase willingness to buy the dip was strong.