Korea’s battery industry is expanding beyond EVs into ESS and other applications. As a result, competition is shifting from product performance toward broader supply chain capabilities. InterBattery 2026 highlighted this transition.

While maintaining a growth structure centered on EVs, South Korea’s battery industry is accelerating its expansion into energy storage systems (ESS) and non-automotive application fields, entering a new phase of transformation. As a result, the basis of competition is shifting from product performance to broader supply chain capabilities. At InterBattery 2026 held in March, major South Korean battery producers showcased a diverse range of products for ESS, AI infrastructure, and industrial applications, underscoring this shift. The industry’s focus is now moving from the single EV market to a broader landscape of energy and industrial applications.

On March 31, SHFE issued a notice on the relevant work arrangements during the 2026 Qingming Festival holiday. The original text was as follows: Notice on the Relevant Work Arrangements During the 2026 Qingming Festival Holiday To all relevant parties: According to the Announcement of the Shanghai Futures Exchange on the 2026 Holiday Schedule (SHFE Announcement [2025] No. 157), the relevant work arrangements during the Qingming Festival holiday are hereby notified as follows: There will be no night session trading on the evening of April 3, 2026 (Friday). The market will be closed from April 4, 2026 (Saturday) to April 6 (Monday). From 08:55 to 09:00 on April 7, 2026 (Tuesday), all futures and options contracts will conduct call auction trading, and the night session will resume that evening. Please make proper risk prevention arrangements to ensure market stability and smooth delivery. Hereby notified. Shanghai Futures Exchange Mar 2026

For almost four weeks, the war against Iran has kept the world on edge – a conflict that leaves deep marks not only geopolitically but also economically. Volatility and uncertainty in global markets are increasing daily.

[SMM Lead Morning Meeting Summary: Macro Factors and Fundamentals Present Both Bullish and Bearish Signals, and Lead Prices May Continue to Consolidate in the Short Term] Fed Chairman Powell released dovish signals, and the market once again bet on the possibility of an interest rate cut within the year. Recently, production at primary lead and secondary lead smelters has resumed, supply has been relatively ample, and imported lead has continued to flow into China...

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas plans to cut approximately 440 production jobs at its Lindo nacelle factory in Denmark, citing increased production efficiency and reduced takt time. The company is exploring redeployment options for affected employees within its 7,000-strong Danish workforce. This move follows a previous announcement to reduce its global office headcount by 900 positions by the end of 2025. Conversely, driven by strong offshore wind demand in the UK, Vestas has simultaneously announced plans to invest in a new nacelle and hub factory in Scotland.

SMM News, March 30: During the day, the most-traded SHFE lead 2605 contract opened at 16,460 yuan/mt. Prices edged lower in early trading, then gradually moved higher in choppy trading, supported by destocking of lead ingot inventory in China. In the afternoon, it maintained a relatively firm consolidation range of 16,490-16,510 yuan/mt, and briefly climbed to 16,535 yuan/mt near the close, before finally closing at 16,495 yuan/mt, forming a bearish candlestick with no upper shadow, down 60 yuan/mt, or 0.36%. For primary lead, inventory drawdowns at lead smelters and social warehouses provided some support to lead prices. For secondary lead, production resumptions at some secondary lead smelters and maintenance expectations at some enterprises coexisted in April. On the downstream demand side, producers purchased as needed, with relatively more bargaining in some cases, and transactions were relatively scattered due to the wider range of procurement options. Overall market supply and demand remained in a tug-of-war, and lead prices are expected to continue moving sideways within a range. Data source disclaimer: Except for publicly available information, all other data is processed and derived by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and SMM's internal database models, and is for reference only and does not constitute decision-making advice.

According to an announcement by the Shanghai International Energy Exchange, with the approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, effective April 22, 2026 (from the night continuous trading session on April 21), the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (hereinafter referred to as INE) will further expand the range of tradable products available to Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors and RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (collectively, Qualified Foreign Investors), with the newly added commodity options contracts open for trading as follows: TSR 20 rubber and international copper options contracts.

Dalian iron ore was generally weak today. The most-traded contract, I2605, finally closed at 806.5 yuan/mt, down 1.83% from the previous trading session. Spot prices fell by about 10-15 yuan from the previous trading day. Traders actively offered quotes, while steel mills mainly made inquiries and purchases based on rigid demand, with cautious inquiries; overall, the spot market trading atmosphere was average. According to the latest SMM survey data, hot metal daily average production reached 2.4049 million mt this week, an increase of 15,000 mt WoW, with demand showing a steady improvement. In terms of supply, some iron ore originally planned for shipment to the Middle East began to be redirected to the Chinese market, including some ore grades used for direct reduced iron (DRI), increasing market supply options and putting some pressure on prices. From a macro perspective, the situation in the Middle East remained tense, and the escalation of war triggered a sharp rise in energy prices, driving up global inflationary pressure. Expectations for US dollar interest rate cuts weakened significantly, leading to a certain pullback in commodity prices, including iron ore prices. Overall, iron ore prices faced strong resistance in the short term, but downside room was limited, and the market is expected to continue moving in a sideways range.

Effective April 22, 2026 (night session on April 21), nickel futures and options are open to overseas participants. First contracts: NI2605 and subsequent futures, with corresponding options. For margin, overseas traders may use USD at a 0.95 discount rate, valued at the daily RMB central parity rate. Account opening is available immediately.