[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Ore Prices Continue to Fall, Market Expectations Bearish] June 17, 2026 – The ferrochrome and chrome ore markets fluctuated slightly...

According to SMM statistics, as of June 12, in-factory inventory days for aluminum rod in China stood at 2.66 days, a sharp decline of 1.25 days WoW from 3.91 days on June 5, with the inventory ratio plunging from 37.45% to 9.28%, a drop of 28.17 percentage points. During the same period, the weekly operating rate of the aluminum wire and cable industry recorded 82.10%, up 1.76 percentage points WoW

Capacity-wise, according to incomplete statistics, China’s alkaline electrolyzer market stands at 43.77 GW, and the PEM electrolyzer market at 2.7 GW. This week, no offline delivery information was publicly available. Project-related updates: Jiyuan (Siping) Green Energy Co., Ltd.: SPIC Green Energy issued the termination announcement for the centralized tender of the 12th batch of infrastructure projects in 2026. The D12-01 Biochar Preparation Unit EPC General Contracting Section under the subsidiary Lishu Wind and Solar-Based Green Hydrogen Coupled with Biomass Green Methanol Project has been officially terminated. The reason cited was notification from the bid inviter, without disclosure of details such as project adjustments or plan changes. It is understood that this section planned to build a new biochar preparation unit with an annual capacity of 240,000 mt, adopting an end-to-end EPC general contracting model covering supporting systems including biomass pretreatment, drying, torrefaction, and cooling, as well as a carbon shaping core system, heat supply, conveying, civil works, and intelligentization. Huawang (Qingdao) Hydrogen Technology Group Co., Ltd.: Re-tender announcement for the general contracting of the hydrogen purification station project at the Hydrogen Industrial Park. The project is located in Dongjiakou Chemical Park, Huangdao District, Qingdao, with a total investment of 46.2968 million yuan, an engineering cost of 27 million yuan, a maximum bid ceiling of 26.8 million yuan, and a design fee ceiling of 200,000 yuan. The site covers 720 m² and includes one 5,000 Nm³/h PSA purification unit for upgrading hydrogen-rich tail gas, designed to produce over 3,600 mt/year of high-purity hydrogen with a purity ≥ 99.999%, meeting China’s national standards for vehicle-grade hydrogen. Guohua (Ningxia) New Energy Co., Ltd.: Open tender for the PC construction general contracting of the integrated hydrogen production portion of the Solar-Storage-Hybrid Off-Grid Hydrogen Production Key Technology Research and Demonstration Project. The project is located south of the Qingshuiying hydrogen production station in Ningdong Town, covering about 33 mu, with utilities relying on the existing hydrogen station. It plans six hydrogen production trains — Train E is a 1,000 Nm³/h hybrid pilot unit; Trains F through J consist of five new hydrogen production systems each rated at 1,000 Nm³/h (maximum operating load 1,200 Nm³/h), each paired with an 800 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzer, a 200 Nm³/h PEM electrolyzer, and purification equipment, achieving hydrogen purity of 99.999%. China Coal Green Energy (Ordos) Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : The prequalification results for the basic design of the first-phase hydrogen-ammonia project and supporting utilities of the Uxin Banner Wind and Solar-Based Hydrogen-to-Ammonia Integrated Project have been published. Wuhuan Engineering Co., Ltd. ranked first with a bid price of 1.698 million yuan. Goldwind Green Hydrogen Technology (Xing’an League) Co., Ltd. : The Xing’an League Goldwind Science & Technology Wind-to-Hydrogen (Phase III) Project has released its first environmental impact assessment public notice. The project is located in the Xing'an League Economic and Technological Development Zone, an expansion project with a hydrogen production capacity of 160,000 Nm³/h. It is being constructed in three phases: the first and second phases each have a hydrogen production capacity of 32,000 Nm³/h, and upon completion of the third phase, total self-owned green hydrogen capacity will reach 224,000 Nm³/h, with an additional 56,000 Nm³/h of green hydrogen purchased externally. The supporting green methanol project has a combined capacity of 1.575 million mt across the three phases. Pre-construction work is currently progressing in an orderly manner. Guohua (Rudong) New Energy Co., Ltd.: The solar-hydrogen-energy storage integrated project has been fully completed and put into operation. It is the largest project of its kind in China and a key national PV base project, integrating PV, energy storage, and green electricity hydrogen production facilities to build a complete green electricity industry chain. The project generates 468 million kWh of electricity annually, sufficient to meet the power needs of nearly 200,000 households, and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 300,000 mt per year. The energy storage system supports stable grid operation and enhances new energy consumption levels. The project produces 482 mt of high-purity green hydrogen annually, achieving zero-carbon production, with the green hydrogen supplied directly to the Yangtze River Delta region. The entire system has been commissioned and all indicators meet the standards. CSSC (Handan) Peric Hydrogen Technologies Co., Ltd.: The Shuangyashan Jixian electrolyzer project has completed filing. It is invested and constructed by Heilongjiang Hai Rui Ke Energy Technology Co., Ltd. The project is located in Jixian County, Shuangyashan City, with a total investment of 612 million yuan, including fixed asset investment of 238.7 million yuan, and a construction period of two years. It is planned to build a new production line with an annual output of 500 sets of 1,000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers and complete hydrogen production equipment, with a total capacity of 2.5 GW. The project covers an area of 63.23 mu, where factory buildings, office buildings, and supporting facilities will be constructed, and equipment such as CNC machining, welding, assembly, and detection equipment will be procured. Junrui Green Hydrogen (Alxa League) Energy Co., Ltd.: A change announcement for the winning bid result of the first phase of the 14,400 mt/year green hydrogen base project in the Alxa High-tech Zone has been released. The original first-ranked winning candidate, a consortium led by Xinjiang Xingyu Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., failed to collect the bid acceptance notice within the specified time as required. According to the tender document provisions, this is deemed an automatic forfeiture of the winning qualification. After this change, the second-ranked winning candidate, a consortium led by Guangxi Construction Engineering Group No.4 Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., becomes the project's winning bidder. The winning bid amount is 915,185,806.17 yuan, and the project duration is 18 months (549 calendar days). The project had previously completed the public announcement of winning candidates and the release of the initial winning bid result in April. China Coal Green Energy (Ordos) Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : The winning bid result for the design and survey services of the first phase of China Coal Green Energy (Ordos) Uxin Banner wind-solar hydrogen production and ammonia synthesis integrated project's hydrogen production, storage, and transportation engineering has been announced. China Power Engineering Consulting Group North China Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. won the bid for 4.75 million yuan. The project is located in Uxin Banner, Ordos. Phase I will construct large-scale electrolytic water-based hydrogen production equipment, spherical tanks, and solid-state hydrogen storage facilities, with a total hydrogen storage capacity of 308,000 Nm³, accompanied by supporting systems for hydrogen transport and automatic control. The project encompasses the entire industry chain of wind and solar power generation, hydrogen production and storage, and ammonia synthesis. Gansu Huanshui Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. : Gansu Huanshui Energy Chemical issued the tender announcement for the EPC contract of electrolytic hydrogen production supporting the Huadian flexible ammonia project, a key project under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Located in the Tianshui Chemical Park, Huan County, Qingyang, Gansu, the project covers an area of 524.43 mu. It will construct new facilities for sodium chloride electrolysis and mercury-free polyethylene and related supporting infrastructure, with a total investment of 2.6112 billion yuan. Relying on green electricity for production, it will produce 31.50 million Nm³ of hydrogen annually, primarily supplying the flexible ammonia project. The construction period is 24 months, and consortium bids are allowed, with a maximum of 4 members; the lead partner must possess construction qualifications. Sinopec Xinxing Xinjiang Green Hydrogen New Energy Co., Ltd. : The candidate for the general construction contracting (Section 1) of the new-type electrolyzer industrial application demonstration project was announced, with Sinopec Henan Oil Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. ranking first. The project will build multiple electrolyzer testing platforms, along with supporting civil engineering, substation, automatic control, and fire protection facilities, covering construction, material procurement, and subsequent maintenance and related work. Zhongxiang Fuguang Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The integrated energy project coupling green electricity-based hydrogen production with CO₂ capture has been filed in Zhongxiang city, Jingmen, Hubei. With a total investment of 2.8 billion yuan, the project focuses on green hydrogen preparation, direct air carbon capture, and green fuel synthesis. Once completed, it is expected to produce 10,000 mt of green hydrogen, 10,000 mt of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and 150,000 mt of China VI standard diesel annually, with construction scheduled to start in February 2027. The project site is in Zhongxiang city, planned to lease 1,000 mu of land, and will construct 260,000 m² of new factory buildings, a 20,000 m² standardized hydrogen storage yard, and supporting auxiliary facilities, procuring 216 units (sets) of core equipment including electrolyzers, storage tanks, and control systems. Shanghai Yiwei Industrial Technology Co., Ltd.: won the bid for the general contracting project of the 1500Nm³/h integrated biomethane-based hydrogen production and refueling station in Pinggu Mafang for Beijing Gas. This project is Pinggu's first integrated hydrogen production and refueling demonstration project and a key demonstration project for Beijing Gas to promote green energy transition. The project is configured with three Hysail-500Nm³/h containerized hydrogen generators, with a total production capacity of 1500Nm³/h. Leveraging biomethane-based hydrogen production technology, it creates a model of 'on-site production, immediate refueling, and nearby consumption,' yielding 99.999% high-purity hydrogen compliant with the GB/T37244-2018 national standard for vehicle hydrogen. Once completed, it will become a critical hub for hydrogen energy supply in eastern Beijing. Policy Review 1. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and other departments issued a notice on printing and distributing the "Guidelines for Accounting Non-Fossil Energy Electricity Consumption (Trial)". The content pointed out the need to strengthen alignment with energy statistics and carbon emission accounting systems, holistically consider factors such as physical connections, electricity energy trading, and green electricity certificate trading, and clearly categorize the rules for recognizing non-fossil energy electricity consumption and the accounting methods for users at the province (autonomous region, municipality directly under the central government; the same hereinafter) and city (prefectural) levels. Recognition methods for non-fossil energy electricity consumption: Physical Recognition. Self-generated and self-consumed non-fossil energy electricity and self-consumed electricity from new business models like direct green electricity connections are recognized as the electricity user's non-fossil energy electricity consumption. Electricity consumed for the production of non-fossil energy power generation projects is recognized as the generation enterprise's non-fossil energy electricity consumption. Transaction Recognition, encompassing electricity energy trading (including conventional non-fossil energy electricity trading, green electricity trading, etc.; the same hereinafter) and green certificate trading (including green certificate transfers, etc.; the same hereinafter). 2. The Energy Bureau of Jilin Province and the Development and Reform Commission of Jilin Province jointly issued the notice on the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Integrated and Converged Development of New Energy in Jilin Province". Overall goal: By 2030, integrated and converged development shall become a major approach for new energy expansion in the province, with new scenarios featuring integration and convergence emerging continuously. The province's new energy development model will become more flexible, consumption channels more diverse, application scenarios richer, and the electricity market more dynamic, with over 50 new integrated application projects and scenarios being newly established, strongly supporting the comprehensive green transformation of the province's economic and social development. 3. The Administration for Market Regulation of Guangdong Province issued a notice soliciting opinions on the provincial local standard "Operational Specifications for Integrated Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Refueling Equipment (Draft for Review)". The document states that this standard specifies the basic requirements, personnel management, equipment and facility management, hydrogen quality management, refueling operation management, safety management, archive management, and data recording for the operation of integrated hydrogen production, storage, and refueling equipment. Corporate Dynamics Guohong Hydrogen Energy Technology (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd. : Hydrogen heavy-duty trucks from Hongjing Logistics, equipped with Guohong Hydrogen Energy fuel cell systems, officially commenced commercial operation in Xinjiang. The first batch of vehicles departed fully loaded with coke from the Yongxin Coal Chemical Plant in Fukang city, traveling 130 km one way to arrive at the Urumqi Bayi Steel Plant. Beijing Future Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : drafted and released the group standard "Long-term Stability Assessment Method for AEM Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Membrane Materials"(T/CIET 2226-2026). Hubei Inteli Electric Co., Ltd. : has seen its cumulative hydrogen project performance in the European export market exceed 1GW. It previously secured contracts to supply 38 units of 4000 Nm³ (alkaline) hydrogen production power supply equipment for a green hydrogen green steel project and 50MW megawatt-class IGBT PWM hydrogen production power supplies for a petrochemical enterprise in Greece. Sungrow Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : won the bid for the green hydrogen coupling coal chemical section of the first-phase project of the 600,000 kW off-grid renewable energy-based hydrogen production project in the Pingshuo coal mining subsidence area of China Coal Group, becoming the primary supplier of alkaline electrolyzer packages for this project with a 48MW scale. The project adopts a pure off-grid hydrogen production technology route, relying on PV and other renewable energy sources to produce green hydrogen, which is directly supplied to coal chemical production lines. It serves as a benchmark project for low-carbon transition using wind and solar hydrogen production in the coal mining industry. According to the supply plan, Sungrow Hydrogen will provide 8 units of 1200Nm³/h electrolyzers, 2 sets of 4800Nm³/h gas-liquid separation and purification systems, along with its self-developed '4-to-1' flexible hydrogen production integrated solution, effectively enhancing the integration level of the equipment package and the long-term operational economy. The company's relevant off-grid hydrogen production package system has undergone long-term verification at a 30MW electrolytic water hydrogen production empirical base, possessing core advantages such as wide load regulation, millisecond-level power response, and long-cycle stable operation, perfectly adapting to fluctuating PV power conditions and addressing pain points in off-grid hydrogen production operations. Anscombe (Beijing) Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: successfully won the bid for the green hydrogen coupling coal chemical section of the first-phase project of the 600,000 kW off-grid renewable energy-based hydrogen production project in the Pingshuo coal mining subsidence area of China Coal Group. The project utilizes an off-grid hydrogen production model, preparing green hydrogen from PV renewable energy, with the hydrogen output supplied directly for coal chemical production use. This project is a core initiative of China Coal Group's 'green hydrogen + coal chemical' coupled low-carbon pathway. Its scale is leading, and the off-grid operation mode imposes extremely high technical requirements on hydrogen equipment enterprises for system integration and adaptability to fluctuating new energy conditions. According to the cooperation plan, Anscombe will supply 4 units of 1200Nm³/h electrolyzers, 1 set of 4800Nm³/h gas-liquid separation and purification system, and provide a '4-to-1' flexible hydrogen production overall solution, comprehensively matching unstable off-grid wind/solar power operating conditions. Transportation Energy Company of Yanchang Petroleum & Gas Group: The hydrogen refueling demonstration station it constructed at the Fuping Service Area (North Zone) on the G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway has successfully achieved mechanical completion and entered the feed test phase. This station is the first hydrogen refueling demonstration station on an expressway in north-west China, with a total investment exceeding 18.30 million yuan. It is a standardized Level 3 hydrogen refueling station, designed with a daily refueling capacity of 1,000 kg, equipped with an intelligent hydrogen refueling management and control system, capable of serving hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks and intercity buses, improving the Shaanxi expressway hydrogen energy supply network. Ai Hydrogen Technology (Group) Co., Ltd. : signed the contract for the western China integrated solid-state hydrogen production, storage, and utilization project with the People's Government of Zhong County, Chongqing. The project will address the shortage of hydrogen sources in Chongqing and guarantee hydrogen demand for transportation and industrial users in eastern Chongqing during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period. Relying on the enterprise's proprietary magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage core technology, the project can solve industry challenges such as high hydrogen storage and transportation costs and insufficient safety, enabling large-scale, low-cost, and safe hydrogen storage and transport. China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co., Ltd. : The 10,000 mt-level biomass pressurized gasification pilot plant successfully completed a 72-hour continuous operation test. Industry experts witnessed that the parameters were stable, the equipment operated normally, and multiple core capabilities were verified, marking key progress in the engineering R&D of this technology. The project was led by CPEIC Zhonghe Institute, collaborating with multiple entities to systematically verify biomass pressurized gasification, operating condition optimization, and engineering scale-up aspects. Lanzhou LS Group Co., Ltd.: its self-developed 1000 Nm³ PEM electrolytic water hydrogen production system successfully passed industrial testing. The project's hydrogen production power supply was provided by Hubei Inteli Electric, featured a containerized integrated solution; the equipment completed installation and commissioning ex-factory, offering convenient deployment and strong adaptability, which can effectively shorten construction periods. Patent Applications 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), published patent CN2025110028, developing a ceramic-based anion exchange membrane with a laboratory-tested lifespan of 80,000 hours. 2. Johnson Matthey (UK), submitted patent WO2025109876, disclosing an Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalyst formulation, with activity approaching that of platinum-based materials. Technical Footprints / Technical Specifications 1. Lei Tong, Haiwei Liang from USTC, and Liang Zhang's team from Tsinghua University proposed the Carbon Mesoporous Depth Engineering (CMDE) strategy. By utilizing hollow mesoporous carbon spheres to regulate ionomer penetration depth, it resolves the inherent contradiction between kinetic activity and oxygen mass transport in low-platinum fuel cells, developing a PtCo low-platinum catalyst that balances poisoning resistance, high mass transport, and excellent durability, achieving power, activity, and durability targets set by the US DOE at an ultra-low platinum loading of 0.1mgPt cm⁻². 2. Professor Zhizhang Li's team at Northwestern Polytechnical University innovatively constructed a three-dimensional multi-physics field coupled model for tubular solid oxide fuel cells, systematically revealing the quantitative influence rules of temperature, electrode thickness, porosity, and oxygen domain geometric parameters on battery output performance. 3. China Automotive Engineering Research Institute's National Hydrogen Energy Power Quality Inspection and Testing Center completed a 0-400 kW hydrogen-involved load-bearing three-comprehensive vibration testing platform and opened it for commercial use, addressing the gap in domestic testing for high-power, hydrogen-involved multi-physics coupling. 4. The high specific power cathode closed-cathode air-cooled stack technology developed by the team of Academician Zhongwei Chen and Associate Researcher Meng Zhang at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics' State Key Laboratory of Energy Catalysis and Conversion passed the scientific and technological achievement appraisal by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. This technology effectively overcomes the industry contradiction between water retention and oxygen mass transport in air-cooled fuel cells, solving technical challenges such as low-humidity performance degradation, carbon corrosion, dry membrane water flooding, and high-power thermal management. 5. Two group standards related to water electrolysis-based hydrogen production were officially released and implemented, namely "Safety Technical Specifications for Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Production" and "Economic Performance Indicator Calculation Methods for Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Production." 6. Petronor and H2SITE collaborate to advance membrane technology for hydrogen production, enhancing high-purity hydrogen in refining and low-carbon efficiency.

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Market Expectations Pessimistic, Transactions Continue Weak] June 16, 2026 – Ferrochrome and chrome ore markets fluctuate slightly...

Supply Chain Management Branch issues a procurement notice for JISCO Group’s concentrated procurement of externally purchased coke for July 2026. Eligible suppliers are invited to register. Details are as follows: 1. Project Overview Project Name: JISCO Group July 2026 Externally Purchased Coke Concentrated Procurement Notice Procuring Entity: Supply Chain Management Branch Delivery Location: Storage and Transportation Yard of Hongxing Co., Ltd. and other designated locations at plants and mines Estimated Supply/Construction Start Date: Jun 23, 2026 Estimated Supply/Construction End Date: Jul 31, 2026 Procurement Content: 2. Registration Eligibility Requirements 1. The applicant must be an independent legal entity within the territory of the People’s Republic of China; the bidder must have the capability to respond to the tender project. 2. The applicant must not be a dishonest debtor listed by the Supreme People’s Court on the “Credit China” website or various credit information sharing platforms. 3. Applicants may register for individual items based on the procurement content, specifying the material code and name. 4. If the applicant is not a producer, they must upload the producer’s authorization letter and its validity period, the mine enterprise’s resource tax payment certificate, and the producer’s contact information. 5. For applicants using road transportation at JISCO headquarters, all transport vehicles must be new energy vehicles (NEVs) or comply with China VI vehicle emission standards. 3. Registration Method Suppliers must respond to the notice within the specified time frame by logging into the electronic tendering system (). Unregistered suppliers need to complete registration first, then click “I want to register” for the corresponding procurement notice and fill in the required information. 4. Registration Deadline Jun 20, 2026 11:52 5. Feedback and Communication 1. If applicants have any questions regarding this notice, they may contact the issuing contact person for inquiries. Contact: Chai Shuai, Tel: 18693770993. 6. Complaints and Disputes For complaints or disputes regarding the procurement activity, please send information to the mailbox of the Trading Supervision Office of JISCO Group Trading Center (jyjds@jiugang.com), Tel: 0937-6713939. Relevant Attachments None Supply Chain Management Branch Jun 15, 2026 Click to view tender details:

[SMM Chrome Daily Review: Chrome Ore Edges Lower, Ferrochrome Remains Steady for Now] June 15, 2026: The ferrochrome and chrome ore markets fluctuated slightly...

1. Procurement Conditions This procurement project for quasi-first-grade coke dry quenching and others (AGLYLGHHD260613296521) is tendered by Lingyuan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., with funds sourced from self-raised capital. The project has met the procurement conditions and is now open for a single round of negotiations. 2. Project Overview and Procurement Scope 2.1 Project Name: Quasi-First-Grade Coke Dry Quenching and Other Projects 2.2 Procurement failure conversion to other procurement methods: Convert to direct procurement 2.3 For details of the procurement content, scope, and scale of this project, please refer to the attached Material List Attachment.pdf. 3. Bidder Qualification Requirements 3.1 Consortium bidding is not permitted for this procurement. 3.2 Bidders must meet the following qualification requirements for this procurement: (1) Production-type business license (2) Distribution-type business license 3.3 Bidders must meet the following registered capital requirements for this procurement: Registered capital for production-type bidders: 10.0 million yuan or more Registered capital for distribution-type bidders: 10.0 million yuan or more 3.4 Bidders must meet the following performance requirements for this procurement: Provide purchase and sale contracts and invoices signed with steel mills after January 1, 2025. 3.5 Bidders must meet the following capability requirements, financial requirements, and other requirements for this procurement: Financial requirements: Registered capital must be more than 10 million yuan. Capability requirements: Refer to the attachment (if applicable) Other requirements: Must provide a product quality inspection report where the corresponding technical quality indicators within the report are all qualified. 3.6 For projects subject to mandatory bidding by law, bids submitted by untrustworthy persons subject to enforcement shall be invalid. 4. Acquisition of Procurement Documents 4.1 Any party interested in participating in the bidding, please log in to the Ansteel Intelligent Tender and Bid Platform at http://bid.ansteel.cn from 14:00 on June 15, 2026 to 08:00 on June 18, 2026 (Beijing Time, the same hereinafter) to download the electronic procurement documents. Click to view tender details: Procurement Announcement for Quasi-First-Grade Coke Dry Quenching and Other Projects

SMM Nickel Jun 15 News: Macro and Market News: (1) As the Iran war neared the four-month mark, US-Iran peace talks achieved a breakthrough. The US, Iran, and key mediator Pakistan all indicated that an agreement had been reached and would be formally signed in Switzerland this Friday. (2) The People's Bank of China announced that on the 15th, it would conduct a 600 billion yuan outright reverse repo operation with a 6-month (183-day) tenor, using a fixed quantity, rate tender, and multiple-price auction method. Given that 600 billion yuan of this tenor matured during the month, this 6-month outright reverse repo operation was a full rollover. Spot Market: On Jun 15, SMM #1 refined nickel prices rose by 500 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. For spot premiums, Jinchuan #1 refined nickel averaged 1,650 yuan/mt, down 100 yuan/mt from the previous trading day, while the mainstream domestic electrodeposited nickel range was -500-400 yuan/mt. Futures Market: The most-traded SHFE nickel 2607 contract strengthened throughout the morning session, closing the morning at 136,120 yuan/mt, up 1.27%. The US and Iran reached a memorandum of understanding in Islamabad, extending the US-Iran ceasefire by 60 days. The Strait of Hormuz is about to reopen, and both sides have declared an end to hostilities and will formally sign the agreement this Friday. The recovering macro sentiment supported a collective rebound in non-ferrous metals prices; however, the extent of the nickel price rebound remained capped by inventory, with nickel prices expected to range between 133,000-140,000 yuan/mt.

At 4:15 PM on June 8, 2026, a ladle explosion at the SMS-1 steelmaking shop of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) — operated by Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) — unleashed molten metal at over 1,500°C onto the working platform below Caster-2. According to a preliminary report by India's Chief Inspector of Factories, the cause was a sudden release of gas entrapped within the liquid steel, which ruptured the ladle seal before the sliding gate was opened, triggering a catastrophic spill.

[SMM Tin Midday Review: Final Signing Date of Geopolitical Agreement Set, The Most-Traded SHFE Tin Contract Returns Above 420,000]