This week, the operating rate of China's leading downstream aluminum processing enterprises was 64.1%, down 0.3 percentage points WoW.

Spot lithium carbonate prices fluctuated downward this week, with the price center shifting lower. The futures market fluctuated downward, with the most-traded contract 2609 price range declining from 179,300-187,900 yuan/mt at the beginning of the week to 172,100-180,900 yuan/mt, hitting a mid-week low of 172,100 yuan/mt. Open interest first increased then decreased, and market sentiment remained cautious. Market transactions exhibited characteristics of "purchasing as needed and relatively sluggish activity," with downstream procurement enthusiasm continuing to pull back. Upstream lithium chemical plants continued to hold prices firm and hold back from selling, with spot order quotes mostly staying above 180,000 yuan/mt. Some unhedged enterprises showed increasingly strong reluctance to sell, while hedged enterprises increased direct sales to downstream buyers. Downstream material plants basically maintained purchasing as needed as prices continued to fluctuate downward, with weak willingness for large-scale restocking. On one hand, most enterprises had actively stockpiled when prices were at lows previously; on the other hand, as month-end approached, considering that customer-supplied and long-term contract volumes would be replenished at the beginning of next month, some material plants slowed down their procurement pace. Overall, market inquiries and actual transactions remained relatively stable. Lithium carbonate production decreased this week, mainly affected by spodumene production line maintenance and unstable raw material supply. In terms of inventory changes, upstream lithium chemical plants saw a slight edge up in hedging-related registered warrants. Combined with the decline in lithium chemical plant production this week, overall upstream inventory showed a destocking trend. Downstream material plants saw slight inventory accumulation due to purchasing as needed. In the trader segment, as downstream continued purchasing as needed and upstream held back from selling while holding prices firm, overall inventory also showed a destocking trend. Looking ahead, spot lithium carbonate prices are expected to hover at highs in the short term. Supply side, the actual production resumption progress of Jiangxi mines, and the shipment and port arrival status of Zimbabwean lithium concentrates remain key variables going forward. Demand side, close attention should be paid to June cathode material and battery cell production schedule data. The short-term supply-demand timing mismatch has not yet been resolved, still providing some support for prices.

SMM May 28 news: Dealers in Hunan reported that replacement demand in the automotive storage battery market remained sluggish, with retailers purchasing cautiously. Current battery inventory stood at nearly 2 months, and there were no signs of sales promotions in the battery wholesale market, with mainstream models such as 6-QW-45Ah priced at 260-300 yuan/unit. Manufacturers in Zhejiang reported that the automotive storage battery market was in the off-season, with finished product orders being sluggish. Coupled with obstructed battery exports, factories maintained operating rates at 70-80% to avoid inventory accumulation. Manufacturers in Hebei reported that the off-season trend in the automotive storage battery market remained unchanged, with OEM orders for complete vehicles also being limited. To ease inventory pressure, factory production line operating rates were maintained at 80%, and raw material lead was procured through long-term contracts.

The 2025 2nd SMM Southeast Asia Automotive Supply Chain Conference was successfully held, featuring the launch of 10 new car models, Southeast Asia brand strategies from three automakers, and SMM's local steel prices in Thailand. The event facilitated efficient matchmaking between 12+ buyers and 60+ suppliers, and preliminarily established a communication platform for the entire industry chain of Southeast Asian automotive industry. Currently, the NEV industry in Southeast Asia is entering a critical development phase. Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam each have their own strategic layouts and breakthroughs, while the industry also faces challenges such as supply chain restructuring, competition among technology roadmaps, and localization compliance. Thanks to the support from all parties, SMM's local pricing systems in Thailand and Indonesia have been implemented and adopted by core enterprises, establishing a credible cost benchmark for the industry. The 2026 3rd Conference will focus on three core themes: exploring the auto sales potential of new energy vehicles in Southeast Asia; connecting the last mile of the supply chain and integrating regional industry chain resources; and advancing SMM's Southeast Asia metal pricing from a price reference to a transaction benchmark, implementing procurement applications for electrification materials and establishing an executable pricing system. We firmly believe that true progress comes from turning consensus into action. At this conference, BEST cordially invites you to gather again in Bangkok, to jointly transform strategic blueprints into market competitive advantages, to witness and participate in this extraordinary and far-reaching industry event, and to co-create a brilliant new chapter! Click the to register now. Booth No.: B04 BEST (300580), founded in 1997, is a national-level high-tech enterprise. With total corporate assets exceeding 3.9 billion yuan and more than 2,000 employees, it stands as a leading enterprise in the field of intelligent precision manufacturing. Wuxi Best Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. (Stock Code: 300580), founded in 1997, is a national-level high-tech enterprise. With corporate total assets exceeding 3.9 billion yuan and more than 2,000 employees, standing as a leading enterprise in the field of intelligent precision manufacturing. With nearly 30 years of in-depth dedication to precision intelligent manufacturing, BEST has established three key business segments: First, R&D and manufacturing of precision parts, intelligent equipment, and tooling fixtures; Second, core components for NEVs, hydrogen fuel cells, energy storage systems, and liquid cooling systems of computing power centers; Third, linear motion functional components for industrial machine tools, humanoid robots, and other industries, fully covering core high-end manufacturing tracks. With nearly 30 years of in-depth dedication to precision intelligent manufacturing, Wuxi Best have established three key business segments: first, the R&D and manufacturing of precision components, intelligent equipment and tooling fixtures; second, key parts for new energy vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, energy storage systems and liquid cooling systems of computing power centers; third, linear motion functional components for industrial machine tools, humanoid robots and other industries, fully covering core high-end manufacturing tracks. The company has established three modern production sites in Wuxi, Anhui, and Thailand. Leveraging the synergistic development of four major industries—tooling, casting, precision processing, and intelligent manufacturing—it has built competitive advantages across the entire industry chain, with annual revenue exceeding 1.5 billion yuan. Its clients span the globe, including renowned enterprises such as Garrett, Cummins, and BMW. In 2024, BEST invested in and established BYH New Technology Co., Ltd. at Amata City Industrial Estate, Chon Buri, Thailand, covering an area of 80,000 m², with a focus on high-end casting and precision processing to accelerate its expansion outside China. The company has built three modern production bases in Wuxi, Anhui and Thailand. Supported by the coordinated development of four major industrial sectors including tooling, casting, precision processing and intelligent manufacturing, it has formed full-industry-chain competitive advantages with annual operating revenue exceeding 1.5 billion yuan. Its global clients include renowned enterprises such as Garrett, Cummins and BMW. In 2024, Best invested and established BYH New Technology Co., Ltd. in Amata City Industrial Estate, Chon Buri, Thailand. Covering an area of 80,000 square meters, the subsidiary focuses on high-end casting and precision processing to accelerate overseas business expansion. Main Products Adhering to the philosophy of precision craftsmanship and intelligent manufacturing, and backed by mature processes, stringent quality control, and intelligent production lines, the company offers customized products and integrated intelligent manufacturing solutions. We sincerely invite global clients to discuss cooperation for mutual development! Adhering to the philosophy of exquisite craftsmanship and intelligent manufacturing, the company provides customized products and integrated intelligent manufacturing solutions backed by mature technologies, strict quality control and intelligent production lines. We sincerely welcome global business partners to discuss cooperation and seek win-win development! Contact Information Contact Contact Us Yan Caowei 15618581967

In April 2026, China's aluminum semis exports showed a strong rebound. According to customs data, April exports of aluminum semis (including aluminum extrusion, aluminum plate/sheet and strip, aluminum foil, etc.) reached 535,700 mt, up 20.9% MoM and up 9.8% YoY; exports of aluminum products (including aluminum wire, etc.) reached 318,000 mt, up 32.8% MoM and up 7.8% YoY. Cumulative aluminum semis exports from January to April totaled 1.1555 million mt, up 6.2% YoY cumulatively.

Driven by global economic integration and technological innovation, magnet wire, as a fundamental material for the electrical power and electronics industries, has seen continuously climbing demand. In 2025, the rapid development of China's NEV, smart power grid, and other industries injected strong momentum into the magnet wire industry. Meanwhile, tightening environmental protection regulations and rising technological barriers accelerated the industry's transition toward green production and intelligent manufacturing. The eastern region exhibited a notable industrial clustering effect, the central and western regions accelerated their industrial layout leveraging resources and policy support, and the northeast embraced new opportunities through the Belt and Road Initiative. Against this backdrop, Zhejiang Jinjia Special-Shaped Copper Co., Ltd. joined hands with SMM to jointly produce the which came into being at the right moment. Through data collection and regional analysis, the industry distribution map was created to reveal development characteristics and trends, providing a scientific basis for enterprise strategies, policy formulation, and investment decisions, and facilitating the high-quality development of China's magnet wire industry. (Claim your free distribution map:) Specializing in High-Precision Oxygen-Free Copper Product Series ▌Company Profile Zhejiang Jinjia Special-Shaped Copper Co., Ltd. , located at No. 3 Chuangzhi Road, Lijiaxiang Town, Changxing County, in the Changxing Sub-zone of the South Taihu Lake Industrial Cluster Area, covers a land area of 111.8 mu, with a total building area of 167,600 m² for workshops and office buildings. The company specializes in high-precision oxygen-free copper processing, professionally producing premium upward-cast oxygen-free copper rod, oxygen-free copper busbar, copper billet, and special-shaped copper semis, as well as high-precision oxygen-free copper plate and copper strip products . The company owns multiple sets of domestically advanced energy-saving and environmental protection upward continuous casting units, capable of providing clients with premium electrical oxygen-free copper rod in various specifications ranging from Ø8.0 to Ø35.0 mm. The company owns multiple sets of the most advanced domestic copper semis continuous extrusion units of various models and fully automatic copper busbar drawing and straightening integrated units, capable of providing clients with copper busbars and copper billets in various specifications, producing copper busbar products with widths of 320 mm and below, and producing copper billet products with diameters of Ø120 mm and below, with internal quality and oxygen content both exceeding national standard requirements. The company possesses strong mold design and development capabilities, enabling it to provide clients with technical support and develop special-shaped copper busbars and electrical special-shaped products. The company co-established a "production-academia-research" research base with the Continuous Extrusion Research Center of Dalian Jiaotong University. Relying on Dalian Kangfeng Technology Co., Ltd., it developed the world's first TLJ800U copper semis continuous extrusion unit. The commissioning of this equipment enables the company to provide clients with oxygen-free copper plate/sheet and strip with a thickness of 12–20 mm and a width of 420–630 mm. The company also collaborated with China Copper Industry Kunming Heavy Industry on a copper plate/sheet and strip rolling production line and its ancillary facilities. Once in operation, it can provide clients with copper plates, copper strips, and other products in various specifications. The company has obtained certifications for the ISO 9001-2015 Quality Management System, ISO 14001-2015 Environmental Management System, and ISO 45001-2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System, strictly implementing standardized management to provide reliable assurance for product quality. ▌ Contact Information Xu Jianhua 139 5759 7472 SMM Contact Chen Xiaolong 180 1708 9983 Long press to scan the QR code for a free distribution map

[SMM Steel] Hoa Sen Group announced that a fire broke out at the acid regeneration line tower section of its Hoa Sen Phu My Steel Sheet Plant on May 25 at around 10:00 PM. The fire was fully extinguished by 10:45 PM through coordination between the company’s on-site firefighting team and local fire authorities. The company said there were no casualties or damage to goods, while machinery damage was limited and fully covered by insurance. Hoa Sen added that the affected acid regeneration line is an auxiliary facility separated from main production areas, and all other production lines continue operating normally without any impact on the group’s business operations.

Chongqing New Aluminum Times Specialty Aluminum Materials Co., Ltd. plans to build a 40,000 mt/year specialty aluminum profiles project, currently in the approval decision announcement stage. With a total investment of RMB 250 million, the project is located at the Beidu Aluminum Industrial Park in Qijiang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Chongqing, on the former Huicheng plot. It will establish nine aluminum extrusion production lines along with supporting utilities and environmental protection facilities, forming an annual capacity of 40,000 mt of specialty aluminum profiles.

Several alumina ceramic substrate production lines of Anhui Yunci Microelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., a controlled subsidiary of Qiangbang New Materials, have successively entered trial production. The first two lines to complete commissioning have already achieved small-batch production and successfully delivered the first batch of several thousand high-performance alumina ceramic substrates to Guangde Dongfeng Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd., a company within the same industrial park, for use in Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) substrate production.

Sichuan Jixin Huachuang New Material Technology Co., Ltd. plans to construct an aluminum foil project with an annual capacity of 50,000 mt. The project is currently in the second round of public participation for its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). With a total investment of RMB 180 million, the project will procure main production equipment including melting furnaces and cast-rolling mills, along with supporting utilities and environmental protection facilities, to build two aluminum foil production lines.