SMM March 13: This week, China’s domestic tungsten market exhibited high-level oscillations with intensified supply-demand competition. Multiple mines put products up for auction during the week, but transactions were bleak.As of March 13, tungsten prices remained largely stable, yet market sentiment became extremely divided.

Among them, the Gulf region was an important consumer market for China in the Middle East: China’s exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip to Saudi Arabia reached 42,500 mt, and aluminum foil 58,000 mt; exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip to the UAE reached 103,500 mt, and aluminum foil 93,800 mt; the other four countries (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman) accounted for combined exports of about 22,000 mt of aluminum plate/sheet and strip and about 11,000 mt of aluminum foil.

[SMM Titanium Weekly Review: Titanium Dioxide Showed Signs of Recovery; Diverging Strength Across the Titanium Industry Chain Market This Week] This week, the titanium industry chain in China showed pronounced structural divergence, with the tug-of-war between sellers and buyers across upstream and downstream segments intensifying and cost pass-through facing obstacles. Overall, the sector was characterized by a combination of weak recovery and localized strong support. Trading in upstream titanium ore and titanium slag was sluggish. Downstream processing enterprises tightly controlled costs, with procurement consistently maintained at a pace driven by rigid demand. Coupled with inventory at high levels across the industry, the raw material end remained under pressure, enterprises’ willingness to operate stayed weak, capacity release was constrained, and the supply-demand imbalance continued to stand out. In the midstream titanium dioxide segment, pressure from elevated costs of raw materials and energy sharply increased production-side strain. Enterprises held prices firm and showed a strong willingness to sell, and while domestic trade demand did not see a noticeable increase in volume—relying only on rigid-demand support—overseas markets still demonstrated a certain degree of resilience, leaving the overall market running relatively strong. The downstream sponge titanium and titanium products segments performed impressively: sponge titanium inventories remained low, and, together with robust downstream restocking demand, top-tier enterprises proactively adjusted prices, with enterprises showing strong confidence in holding prices firm. The titanium products market saw stable supply and demand: the supply-side operating rate was steady, while demand-side differentiation was evident. Civilian applications were mainly driven by rigid-demand restocking, while orders in high-end fields such as aerospace and military industries were steady. The market recovered steadily, and differences in the pace across segments of the industry chain also set the tone for subsequent market dynamics.

According to data released by the CPCA, retail sales in China’s passenger vehicle market totaled 1.034 million units in February, representing a 25.4 YoY decline. Specifically, in the passenger NEV market, retail sales reached 464,000 units, down 32 YoY.

[Imported Zinc Concentrates Market] Disruptions in Iran and Australia persisted recently, and the market’s concern over zinc concentrates supply continued. This week, traders of imported zinc ore continued to lower spot quotes. It was learned that some recent offers for bulk cargoes of zinc-rich zinc concentrates fell to negative prices.

[Die-Casting Zinc Alloy Operating Rate Continued to Rise, While Market Demand Was Still Awaiting Improvement] This week, die-casting zinc alloy enterprises in the market had basically resumed normal production, driving the operating rate higher. In terms of orders, orders in the Chinese market were mainly still in the stage of recovery and improvement, with demand performance relatively average, while some export orders remained weak......

[SMM Aluminum Alloy Flash] Quotations in the secondary aluminum alloy market were mainly stable today. Before noon, fluctuations in futures narrowed, and enterprises’ willingness to adjust prices weakened significantly, with most producers choosing to hold prices steady and wait on the sidelines. In the afternoon, as futures fluctuated downward, some producers began to lower quotations by 100 yuan/mt. Demand side, downstream buyers still mainly made just-in-time procurement, but against the backdrop of a pullback in aluminum prices and the approaching weekend, some enterprises showed slightly stronger procurement willingness, and market transactions improved somewhat from the previous day.

[SMM Chromium Weekly Review: Costs and Demand Jointly Drove the Market, with Strongly Bullish Sentiment] March 13, 2026: Quotations remained unchanged for the time being, and the chromium market operated steadily...

[SMM Nickel Flash] March 13 News: Supply side, as rising ore prices provided strong cost support, upstream offer prices remained firm. Demand side, as market activity gradually rebounded, steel mills' indicative prices also saw some increases. Overall, market trading activity gradually recovered, and high-grade NPI prices were supported.

This week, China's manganese-based battery materials market showed a differentiated operating trend: battery-grade Mn3O4 prices dropped back slightly, EMD prices edged up slightly, and LMO remained in a weak balance amid the tug-of-war between sellers and buyers. Although the three major products showed different trends, all were supported by the cost side. Overall, the market was mainly stable in the short term, with limited room for wild swings, as the industry gradually transitioned from the post-holiday resumption period to a phase of steady operations......